The Timeless Shadow
by Ritalyn
Summary: The Queen had lost, the land was poisoned with war, and the one that could help was trapped in time.
1. Prologue: Into Oblivion

**Hello and welcome, this is actually a small experiment that I had in mind, depending on the reaction I'll see how far it goes, it's a Sephiroth x OC. **

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything related to Final Fantasy VII.

**Warning:** the story works with harsh and dark themes not meant for the general public. If you don't enjoy themes related to prostitution and everything related to that world this is not meant for you. Sexual themes are implied.

**Now enjoy!**

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Facades

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_There are many lies that lay hidden under facades.  
__There are many lies that lay under the sheets.  
__There are many lies with the purpose to protect.  
__There are many lies with the purpose to convince._

_I was a lie.  
__He was a lie.  
__We were a lie.  
__Indeed we were a lie._

_A beautiful lie…_

_And here I sat thinking of all the moments we shared, I was your lie._

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I woke up startled, something wrong had happened. My heart palpitated, with each contraction all I felt was pain, something was wrong. I heard a helicopter in the background, not too far from me I heard someone knocking on the door a man's voice was heard yelling. "Open the door!"

There was more banging against the door, but I didn't answer them. They had finally gotten to me. "Annie Chapman!" The same voice yelled as they called my name.

Getting up from the bed I made my way towards the window of my bedroom. I looked to the outside world, the clear vision of Midgar hanging down below me. The helicopter circling around the building its light pointed directly at my window. I looked at them, not afraid for what was to come, I knew why they were here and I wasn't about to go down with my head down.

Moving away from the window I preceded towards the bathroom, I quietly took my singlet off and then proceed to take off my hot pants. The door to the bathroom still open as I knew they couldn't penetrate this penthouse that easy. Looking quickly at myself in the mirror I smiled cockily, my height being small at 5'4 (162.5cm), yet my body and features where what had gotten me to this point. Icy blue eyes, framed by a mass of long black hair, a thin nose with a perfect profile view, bow shaped lips and sun kissed skin made me appear like a goddess.

It was then that I shook my head; I was the complete opposite of a goddess. Moving away from the mirror and towards the shower I turned it on, making sure to have the water running at a warm temperature. Getting inside I allowed everything to be forgotten, there weren't helicopters looking out there for me, there wasn't a group of SOLDIERS or probably Turks outside my penthouse door. There probably wasn't someone close to me dead.

I knew this day was about to come, his last call seeming to be more of a sad goodbye. I closed my eyes, thinking of the nightmare I had experienced before waking up. A burned town, I could smell blood, but his image… his bloodied sword it had fully shocked me. It was a lucid dream, but why was I having that dream? I don't know how long I stood there in the shower, I just knew that the worst part was about to happen.

Turning off the shower I placed a towel around my body and moved once more towards the bedroom. I took my time to dress my body and found myself staring at the mirror once more. Placing some quick black eye liner my blue eyes found themselves connected to an image I shared with someone special. He was extremely tall, close to a foot taller than me, we appeared in the image as a couple but in reality we weren't one. Even though I lived in his penthouse, went out with him in public, had sexual intercourse with him and pretty much did stuff people in relationships used to do, we both weren't in one.

The truth was that I was and still am a prostitute; he had found me many years ago working as an escort. He bought me many times and became a regular within my clients, till one fateful day that he decided that he had enough. We both made a pact and I moved in with him, he had given me full benefits; he gave me a penthouse in the upper plate, a monthly income and made sure that everything was paid. What had he asked back? That I would solely remain with him, no more clients, instead only him, and I accepted the deal.

Shaking my head at the bitter sweet memories I stood up and paid attention to the front door. The men had yelled that they would detonate the door if I didn't open it, and of course I didn't. All I simply did was move over to the kitchen and prepare myself a bowl of cereal. Soon enough as I sat down I heard a countdown, the bomb was about to detonate.

The bomb had detonated, the door being nowhere in sight as the smoke clouded my vision. I heard the men yelling, most of them surrounding me in an instant. I closed my eyes and took a deep break; I could clearly feel guns pointed at me. It was all a matter of time before the smoke cleared, soon enough I heard footsteps coming towards me, those footsteps probably belonging to the leader of whatever was after me.

"Miss Annie Chapman," the man stated my name, the voice of the man clear as me moved closer to me. Ignoring him I turned over from the counter and moved to the sink, the sounds of weapons re-aiming as I moved in the kitchen. Once I was there in front of the sink I threw away my breakfast as I found it to be damaged by the smoke. Finishing that task I looked outside a small window that stood near the sink, it was still late at night. So, they were raiding me at night? I shook my head, and allowed a bland and innocent look adorn my face as I turned over, the smoke had fully cleared around me.

"I see you all invited yourselves to my home." I said over to everyone as I locked eyes with the man that had spoken before. "Mr. Tseng." I greeted him as I looked him over. He was fully clean, his dark hair held up in his famous ponytail and with no spark of dust over him. He was a strange man; even in the worst of conditions I would always notice him to be extremely clean. If only I could say the same about me.

"How are you feeling, Miss Chapman?" He asked courteously as he stood in his place, the men still as they still held their guns at me, probably waiting for his order.

"Well I was sleeping marvelously till someone decided to throw a party in my house and not invite me."

"Hmm, good to know," he said quietly as he stared at me, his eyes somehow telling me that I wasn't about to like what was to come. "Capture her." He ordered as he began to walk away from me.

The men yelled around me, I tried my best to defend myself but all I could do was get harmed. I fought and pulled, yet the men kept their hold on me, my yells made no sense. I was being controlled; I kept fighting as the men pulled me away. Some of them taking advantage of the situation by grabbing at my chest and sometimes even by touching my private parts through my clothing. I fought and yelled at the top of my lungs, but saw that no one came to my rescue, I tried my best but even I failed me. How was it that I ended up like this? What lead to this predicament? I thought quietly as I found myself giving up on the fight, my savior not coming to me as I wished.

I closed my eyes and thought about the many things that could have led to this, but somehow I had no idea what was going on. I knew that I was being pulled around, manhandled and even being treated as if I were a bag full of potatoes. I closed my eyes and thought back to who I thought to be my savior. In reality there were no fairytales. Even if my deal with that man had made me move from hunger to banquets, it meant nothing. There was no romance; there was no real love in that relationship, only a physical connection. And that was the difference that it held with fairytales, the fairytales spoke of a true love.

I opened my eyes and stared at the floor, my legs were walking on automatic, yet I was no longer there. I could barely remember the ride to the car, I could barely notice once I had been thrown inside a cell. I had been so stuck in my thought that I stopped noticing the world around me. This was something that I wasn't expecting; it was something new, yet painful. And so I stopped living in the present, I thought back to those many times in which I had him close to me. Those small conversations we had and the many great times I shared with him. But I couldn't stop thinking, that maybe this situation was something related to that deal I had made with him many years ago. Or maybe this was my punishment for selling my body…

_How could this happen to me?_

I don't remember much after that. I could barely note when days became night in that small cell. I just knew that meals came and go; my body growing thinner as I refused to eat. It was only till one strange day came to me, I found the door to my cell open. I didn't look at the man that entered as I expected to be offered the meal of the day. Yet instead of an offer of food I received a command. "Get up." The man ordered which surprised me, making me look in the direction of the door. Right there my eyes met a bald man with sun glasses, his vest indicating that he was clearly a Turk.

Scoffing at him I looked away from him and once more to the wall. "Why should I?"

"President Shinra requests your presence."

With those words spoken, time somehow flew. I had been taken to clean myself up and prepare for the visit to such a highly considered person. Yet every time I had to walk freely I was cuffed like a prisoner by the man named Tseng. It was only till we arrived to the president's office that he decided to let go of the hold he had on me, but the cuff remained.

"Miss Chapman, it's good to meet you away from the banquets and balls." President Shinra said as he stared me down from his high chair, his crooks and followers right behind him.

"Wish I could say the same." I answered him as I stood there with my head up high, as I wasn't about to allow this monster demolish my morale.

"Hmpt," president Shinra said as he looked at some papers appearing to be uninterested in me, yet quickly his attention was brought back to me as he began to speak once more. "Do you know why you are here?"

"No." I quickly answered as I glared at him, the man being as hateful as they come. It didn't take a genius to know that I was captured because he or someone from his group had issued the order.

"You are here for a charge of treason against the Shinra Electric Power Company."

"What?" I yelled as I found myself shocked at what he was insinuating, I wasn't even a terrorist to begin with! "Seriously, does being a prostitute count as treason?" I found myself speaking without thinking and soon enough I found myself cursing at me, it had been a very stupid act from my part.

"That would be your second charge." He stated smugly as he looked down at me.

"Wait! How does selling my body have to do with treason?" I yelled as I found my predicament a little too much to handle, I trembled softly as I fought against some invisible tears. I wouldn't allow them to see me this vulnerable, with that in mind I hardened my stare, all emotions void from my face.

"Our First Class SOLDIER Sephiroth had gone mad; last week he murdered and destroyed a whole town. Killed some of our soldiers and close to fatally wounded another First Class SOLDIER, Zack Fair. Does it sound familiar to you?" The president spoke as he explained what Sephiroth had done, something that hadn't even reached the news, unless I had been held up for a week.

"And what does that have to do with me?" I asked trying my best to keep a calm complexion; I had dreamed that a week ago, before the men had busted my house. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, thinking that now I knew where this was all going to.

"We inspected Sephiroth's and Zack's cellular connection and found a series of calls interchanged with you during that day. Some of the conversations were recorded and from what we could tell, you were making our SOLDIERS turn against each other. For that sole reason you have been charged with treason, up to a maximum of a lifetime in a cell or capital punishment." Shinra said as he kept looking down at me, as if to demoralize me.

I stood quiet as I furrowed my brows and gritted my teeth; I remember speaking that day to Sephiroth. He was telling me all the things he had learned of his mother, while I tried to understand what he meant by it. Before all that I had received a call from Zack, him being extremely worried for Sephiroth as the man had locked himself away on a basement. I couldn't get many details, but after that last strange call from Sephiroth I called Zack to tell him to see if he could check or even stop Sephiroth, as I felt that something bad was about to happen. Afterwards I couldn't reach him neither of them, by then Sephiroth must have lost all control.

I stayed put, thinking of what was probably to come, he had indicated that for that they were accusing me I would get either a lifetime or capital punishment. But could the punishment be negotiated? I thought as I tried to find possible solutions, yet as not to make my silence too long I spoke what I thought in a slow and low tone. "If I were to be guilty of those charges… could the punishment be negotiated?"

"That-" the president began, but was quickly interrupted by one of the individuals that stood behind him; the man moved forward and stopped before me.

"My, my, you would make such a precious specimen." The man said as he moved close to me and caressed my face. I felt disgusted; he was an aged man, easily over fifty, with dark slimy hair and a lab coat that probably wasn't washed too often. Yet instead of walking over the side he used to be at, he simply stood next to me and pleaded the president to change the punishment to allow experimentation with my being. I looked over at him and thought that maybe being an experiment wasn't as bad as a lifetime or capital punishment, as he clearly spoke of a substantial amount of freedom that I would have. I was wrong for believing it was a good idea, and for that I found myself in a situation that was worse than before.

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**Well any commentary is fully welcome, questions will be gladly answered.**

**And if anyone is interested in becoming Beta to this or any of my other stories just send me a message.**

**A/N: **

**To: **A Nonya Mouse

Thank you for your commentary, I feel sad you found the story boring but you confirmed me something that I knew was off in this chapter still I tried it. I revised the parts that were related to the song and decided to remove it since I wasn't entirely pleased with the outcome. I thank you once more for your time.

4/4/2013


	2. Chapter 01: Enter the Coward

**Hello again, this is the first chapter. **

**Enjoy.**

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**The Timeless Shadow**

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"_No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow."_ -Euripides

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Chapter 01: Enter the Coward

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"Father! Father! Where are you? Where is everyone?" A young female yelled, the sound coming out but not going far. "Christine!" She yelled when she spotted one of her neighbor.

As she ran to the side of the fair skinned woman she jumped to the right and instinctively covered her face with her frail arms, a small scream coming out of her. The building next to her had caved down, the fire too strong for the weakened structure. Gathering once more her courage, she moved till she was kneeling next to the woman whose blonde hair appeared red from a liquid substance and orange by reflecting the fire surrounding her.

"What happened? Where is father?" She murmured, her eyes scanning the body of the woman but the mass weaved hair hid her face. "Christine? Hey, hey!" She said softly but by the end her tone was reaching a higher note. "No, no, no, no, no! Are you hurt? Please say something! Come on! …please." The last word barely came out as a whisper.

She was shocked, was the woman she grew up with breathing? The teenage girl moved her hand to the woman, her finger starting to graze the clothing which was barely covering the body. "Christine… this isn't the time for a joke." She said seriously, fear already gripping at her heart. Her trembling hand resting on the shoulder of the motionless woman. "Chris…" She had lightly pushed the shoulder of the woman to see if that would get a reaction, but she was the one who reacted.

Her eyes went wide, her hand quickly retreated close to her body and her breathing had stopped. She didn't know if she had yelled, she felt lost in her own world, did she even have the ability to speak? She couldn't keep it in any longer and ran away, she was blinded. She ran till she entered the small forest that surrounded the village she grew up in. Once in there she found the nearest tree and found her lunch returning to the soil, with her hands holding her up she regurgitated her food. The substance coming from her body mixing with the dirt and some dark red matter on her left hand, the one smelling similar to rusted metal.

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Within a room of the castle a blond man watched out of the window, his face starting to show aging elements and his light blue eyes giving away his thoughts. He was hurt at what he had to do, yet no one was to know of his weakness, so he faced away giving his back to a young soldier, the only man inside the room.

"Tell me…" The man spoke his eyes observing the movement of the city bellow. "Would you betray someone you love for your country?" His voice was cold, no feelings escaping the wall he put up.

"I…" The soldier was startled; would he do such a thing?

"Just say it." It became an order. "But tell me the truth and not what I would like to hear." The man said looking over his shoulder, his eyes glaring at the young soldier.

"I… I don't know." The younger man finally said; he didn't know if he had the ability to decide if such occasion did arise.

"Alright," The elder man said, his tone demonstrating he was pleased with the answer received. "You're dismissed." He was trying his best to hide a smile that was trying to surface, yet all he allowed was for a tiny smirk. As the soldier turned to leave the man spoke once more. "Remember that I'm your boss here." And without any word of response the man left the door.

Finally turning around and ignoring what others would call a beautiful sight of the city bellow, he moved over to his desk. The dark wood of it barely noticeable due to the piles of papers he received daily. Once there he sat on the only chair in the room his eyes examined the table, once he found what he was looking for in the mess he took a hold of it and ignoring the importance of some paper he placed his legs on top of the desk.

In his hand he held a small vial, the dark green coloring of it similar to the most potent medicine and of the most silent poison. He stared at it, his eyes showing tiredness; it had gone on for a long time. The more he looked at it, the more he tired grew with what he was told to do; he wanted to end it all. Looking away from the bottle and on to the corner of the room, his eyes met with a sheeted sword. And there it was, the gems gleaming in the low light, it was calling him in. As if being lured to the sword he placed his feet on the floor, leaving in his wake piles of paper that fell around him. It didn't matter, he could end it all before it started.

Just as he was moving closer to the sword, a knock on the door to his left brought him back to reality. He stopped, not answering his now calculating eyes moved over to the vial in his right hand. And the knock came again; this told him he was being slow to answer. Clearing his voice he said a _'come in'_ and the owner of the noise on the door stepped in the room.

"My lord." He said once he spotted him, his body quickly dropping to a kneeling position.

"Why such a rush?" He asked, his eyes analyzing the soldier who bid him respect, yet he already knew why he came in for.

"The lands of the north have been successfully invaded." The new arrival said, never once moving from his position near the floor.

"Any causalities?"

"Only one civilian and the daughter of the governor, both females."

"Then you can leave, tell the troops to retreat slightly to the sought, we'll attack once the village has been reorganized." He said, as his superiority and position of command leaving him with a strange form of pleasure.

"Yes sir! Should we tell the King?" The man asked still on the floor.

"I'll do that myself." The blond man said as he left him maroon cape blowing behind him. In his eyes a sinister look and in his hand the green vial.

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A young female in her late teens was running, this one being highly aware of the men in light armor following her. She had nowhere to go, her village was in flames and her cowardly actions had to be punished in a way, her God must be mad at her. She kept running blindly through the forest she had known all of her life. The smell of trees not calming, it used to mean an escape from her problems, but this time her ragged breath didn't even allow her to process it. She was running around so fast she didn't noticed that she had gone too far, she had no recollection of this area. The trees surrounding kept getting thicker and it became more difficult to move.

'_Everyone please forgive me.'_ She thought when she found herself cornered. The men had guided her to a cliff or was it her fault? With nowhere else to run she faced what was left of her future. There were easily around thirty men when she started to run but their numbers had gone down by half. The ones left in her presence, looked down at her with dark circles under their eyes; they hadn't taken that small race for noting.

She knew she was still alive but fear ran in her leaf green eyes, she was so close. For them she was something to laugh at, her body was in a pitiful state. Arms and legs full of cuts, shoulder length hair all over the place, the once ivory skin darkened by mud, blood and a substance that carried the smell of butyric acid; her short dress, that could once had been considered ravishing, was now barely holding on to her body.

"Hey _mud_ cake, will you stop running already? You gave us quite a challenge back there." The seemingly spokesmen of the group stated, his comments causing an eruption of laughter behind him.

"You _pretty_ little lady... look where we are. I mean, we didn't run all the way here for nothing." One of the men with a red mark on his arm and a spear for a weapon said.

This comment again had provoked another roar of laughter next to him. He was proud of his words, yet internally he was disgusted. This was just plain wrong, she was still too young. But most of the men surrounding him didn't share the same feeling; she was quite young but far curvier than any female her age, her hips being too wide for her small frame.

And there she was, trapped. Was she frightened? Of course, she simply didn't have any type of suicidal thoughts; she wasn't going to dare to jump to the emptiness below her. Staring at it once more she shook her head, it was quite tempting to try it. Then she started to think, she had some slight knowledge of the area surrounding her, behind her the gorge extended downward a few miles but also there was a deep river in which another species lived, yet she believed that was just a horde of rumors from the elders in the village.

Looking once more to the group of barbarians, those men who held the title of knights, she knew she had to think fast. Without any warning one of the solders ran up to her, he tried to take a hold of her arm but she slipped of his hold. Gaining her balance once more she got up and ran close to the cliff edge. Her sight on the lookout below, she knew there was a smaller lake before the famous Lake Hylia. She had definitively gone suicidal, yet she was no longer thinking clearly. Behind her she heard something similar to _'capture her'_ but she was no longer sure she was even listening.

And she kept running till she saw the lake to her right, she was amazed… if that was the small lake she could only wonder how big Laky Hylia could be. Yet something she hadn't quite noticed caught up to her, she had stopped running. However it didn't last long, as she was tackled from behind by a man nearly twice her size, she tried fighting but the man easily overpowered her and had her lying on her back. He smirked as he positioned himself on top of her and in between her legs.

"Good job." The leader of the group said once they all caught up to the soldier who had the girl pinned down. "Well guys enjoy her while she last." The man said to his smiling comrades, they all started cheering, some of them even laughed at the position she found herself in.

"You know, she could be sold as a slave." One of the soldiers that stayed behind said in a bitter voice, he wasn't planning on touching her for sure.

"Yea right! Who would buy something as disgusting as this?" The one on top of her yelled, once he was done with his words of knowledge he continued having his way with her, even though she was fighting back while at the same time crying. "She's a _human_!" He yelled discuss in his voice.

All of them starred at the girl. Some were wondering if she could be sold easy, but who were they lying to? They already knew the answer to that. She's young and perhaps if cleaned quite attractive, with small features that could be called _'pretty'_ somewhere in the world. However some of them were starting to think of having her as a slave for their own greedy deeds. Those who thought that were sure they wouldn't mind, their wives were growing old and not as active as they used to be. But then came the thought of their Queen, she was a woman of virtue. Any news brought to her like that would surely end in punishment for them.

The man having his way with her was having fun, laughing in glee when he ripped open the top of her dress, showing her small chest to him. She had tears coming down yet she fought, moving her torso till she got one of her hands free from the vice grip the man had on them, and with that one hand she started hitting him and pushing him away. It didn't seem to work and he quickly restrained her once more, she was truly lost by then. But it didn't last long; the man was suddenly removed from the female. When the girl had looked up all she had been capable of seeing was what appeared to be a white blurry mass.

"Arrkk!" The yell of a man came but the body was no longer in the area.

"What in the world..." The one that was leaning against a tree said. He had a perfect view of what had happened to the biggest soldier on their squadron. "It's better if we retreat." He said in a calm and collected voice.

"Retreat?" One of his fellows questioned. "You mean more like let's getting the hell out of here!" The now youngest one of the group yelled while running ahead.

"Well, you heard him boys." Said the commander in a clearly happy tone, it wasn't his idea after all. "Forget the girl." He said when a few of the men looked back to the topless female who sat on the floor confused; he knew she had seen something.

Once all of the men had left, the teenager looked around, in an effort to see if the white blur was still around. Seeing nothing she stood up still confused as to what had happened. Still looking around as if in a trance she didn't dare to move, was it a predator? _'What was that?'_ she thought but soon after the thought came she shivered, a soft wind that passed reminded her of her bare chest, with a small sigh she used the best of her ability to tie a knot and have the top cover her as a one shoulder. Once she had finished she looked up in front of her and there stood a white wolf, staring at her with its crimson eyes.

The young female looked scared, her green eyes widened. Without noticing she backed away but it was too late.

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Inside a cavern a white wolf was pulling an unconscious brunette. The animal was being careful; it didn't plan on hurting the pale skinned teen he had in his mouth. She was dirty, but the lost soul inside the wolf was wise. It was capable of looking deep into the scrubby appearance of any human. That thanks to all his years of traveling around the world; the spirit inside was also capable of facing the greatest dangers that had called him to protect the world.

He stopped for a split second, letting go of her shoulder he stared at her. Worry grew quickly in its eyes, those once ocean blue eyes that showed wisdom of the aging and the bravery of the young. Thought it wasn't trained or barely knew the art of medicine he was smart in some sense. Not only was he starting to notice all the cuts in her body, but he also noticed the exhaustion of the limp body. He had wanted to take her directly to where he resided but she could give out on the way and he didn't plan on having causalities along the way.

After a while of pulling the female around some more, the wolf with some even lighter markings on its side decided to stop in the last opening of the cave. In this small opening one could notice the snow starting to melt on the other side. The temperature dropped drastically and the light of the sun was reflected by the snow. By the sudden drop in temperature the brunette started to slightly stir. The huge dog looked nervous and anxious at how she would react to his sudden appearance. All it wished was a bit of more time so that it could take her to a safer place, somewhere he knew she would be safe in case she ran away when she saw him, yet his plans seemed to have been completely trashed.

Two entrancing green eyes opened, at first they were slightly drowsy but then they appeared to be in frenzy, she had no idea where she was. As she sat up and looked around she froze, she was inside a cave, this part wasn't so dark, but it didn't hold her back from fighting back some tears. She was scared of the dark. As her shoulder shook all she could do was stare at the black abyss in front of her. She wondered if those solders from Hyrule took her here, but she knew better, she remembered falling off the cliff. But then she had somehow blacked out.

Finally gaining control of her body and making herself look away from the darkest part of the cave. She looked around the cave trying to see who or what had brought her to this place, then she remembered the wolf. Her eyebrows knitted deep in thought as she saw noting again, not even some slight trace of the animal, but the wise soul was hiding observing her movement. He didn't move from his spot until he noticed that she started to get up on her own. He got quite relaxed once she was up and balanced, with this cleared he moved away from his hiding spot and closer to the exit. Once outside he could tell that she was going to be blinded by the light and proceeded to take his time to pass her, without being seen or heard by the young female.

She felt a soft wind around and her body tensed her arms dangling by her side. She didn't expected feel anything other than air but felt as the fingers on her right hand grazed a smooth coat of hair. Feeling detected the wolf stopped a few feet ahead of her, his red eyes searching hers. She was paralyzed; the beast that had taken the man away from her was standing there just a few feet away. The animal didn't know what to do, yet he expected to see if she could understand body language, even if it came from an animal. And thus giving her a nod of its head the male wolf moved outside, waiting to see if she would follow. When nothing happened he returned back inside and there she was, still frozen in the same place he last saw her. Getting impatient he moved over to her side his eyes never once leaving her face.

'_Move or I'll make you.'_ He said to her when his head bumped against her leg.

"You can speak?" She said loud enough to cast an echo in the cave.

'_Just move, it's getting late.' _The animal said, him once more bumping her leg with its head, he was starting to get annoyed._ 'Come on, just follow me, if you have problems just hold on to my back.'_ He said to her this time appearing to be calmer.

"Um, ok… yeah…" She started to say as she moved behind the big animal, fear already clinging to her heart. "Eh… so… what's your name?" She asked this time feeling weird to be talking to a monster.

Startling her he turned and made his snot touch her hand, his eyes focused on hers. _'If you want to listen to me in this form you must touch me, and the names Link.' _The animal, which she guessed was male due to the mental tone of voice, said, she was now confused.

"Well, names Lilia but you can call me Lily. I'm sixteen what about you?" She said starting to ramble, her nerves getting to her.

'_I don't care, now move before the sun goes down.'_ The wolf said his tone cold and slightly menacing. He was sure he wasn't about to enjoy the rest of the days he had to share with her.


	3. Chapter 02: In Love and Death

**Hello and welcome, this is chapter two, enjoy.**

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**The Timeless Shadow**

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"_Love is whatever you can still betray. Betrayal can only happen if you love."_ -John le Carre

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Chapter 02: In Love and Death

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"My lady, the King requests your presence." A young messenger from the King came up to a now aged Zelda.

"Do the doctors know?" The Queen asked the relative young pageboy of her husband, she had a feeling this day would come soon.

"No." He answered obediently, knowing exactly what she was asking.

"Go fetch the doctors." She said quietly but her voice still giving the commanding aura she had learned since young.

The Queen who had by now lost her soft and smooth skin was sitting in the ballroom; she was simply enjoying what her husband loved to do in his times of troubled. He used to come to that exact place every day at noon to listen to the musicians play an arrange of instruments, his favorite ones always being the air instruments.

Yet suddenly after a few weeks after the second in line to the throne, had his first boy and the now fourth in line to the throne, the King suddenly fell ill. It was unexpected since there were no signs of a sickness coming its way; the King was a healthy man even at the age of seventy-four. The king himself felt weary, thinking that someone must have been the cause of this unpredicted sickness that laid him disabled in bed. He was known to be a strong man but he simply fell, his strength growing fainter by the days. The sudden fall of the King had brought thoughts that someone might be trying to get him out of the picture, Zelda knew if he died then she would be the next target of the murderer.

'_The years have indeed taken their deeds upon us, since we are now meant to pass our rule. Or more likely someone is tired of waiting for us to die. Seeing as there are no females in our seeds we can't do noting more... a new hero won't come to protect us this time.'_ Zelda thought her steps taking her father from the ballroom, but when she came a few feet before her husband dorms she paused for a second. _'You are very well alive Link, I feel your presence even now... more than before. Time has come and you'll awaken for sure.' _She thought lastly her eyes slightly watering but nothing came of it, she cleared her eyes from the watery substance.

Ending her thoughts once more she pushed one of the big oak doors open. There in the marital bed, that was no longer shared, laid her husband with his oldest son at his right side. She smiled slightly at the bond between those two relatives; they appreciated each other so dearly. However, Zelda couldn't help but feel that hidden sprang of jealousy awaken within her. In all of her life as the Queen and more likely as their mother she never truly had the chance to get close to her own sons. Her own kin and blood used to reject her and push her away, some more then others but they had all learned from the oldest. The youngest used to look at her with regret screaming in those light blue eyes he possessed. The middle one tried his best not to insult her at any degree, while the oldest loathed her with all his being. Those three boys, who were always following their father and in most cases ignoring her, were indeed part of her life.

'_Maybe their actions are for the best for Hyrule...' _Shaking her head and dismissing those thoughts about her sons she forced a smiled to her husband. He had tried to at least sit up in her company but like always his weak body failed, all he had left was to give her a smile in greetings. The nearly middle age blonde in the room glared at the older woman, she shouldn't allow his father to work so hard by just having her in the same room. He wasn't willingly planning on leaving the room but his father, who laid there bedridden, looked at him and dismissed his company by a simple nod. Her son who took upon the wisdom from Zelda's family and the malice from his father's family simply left them alone, he couldn't stand that woman he had to call mother.

"My son hates you." The now white headed man stated once his son was out the door, while at the same time taking her aged hands in his.

"Maybe… I wasn't a great mother." She tried to pull on a smile, yet she failed miserably, talking about her sons made her feel as if she failed at something.

"No, no. You were a great one; I just believe they all took after my family." He said trying his best to cheer her up not that visiting a bedside proved to be positive.

"Of course not, your family is a sweet one, their kindness is always meant to be shared." She said in a tone that didn't sounded sarcastic even if it was meant to.

"Hah! What a sour joke you brought to my bed." He spoke with his mood appearing to be happier than that of his healthy wife, yet he knew it was all a façade.

"I wouldn't have married you if it wasn't for that." She tried her best to defend herself from his words, in reality it became a rushed decision.

"Don't lie to me… sweetie..." A remorseful look came upon his face for a split of a second once he felt he had spit out the last part. "But changing the subject, how has the Hero been fairing?" After all these years he had learned to expect her to be thinking of that man to still had her heart captured in its claws. Yet he didn't know if she was going to come up with the man hailed as a hero or the legendary one he never knew.

"He's alive, last thing I remember was seeing him with a girl." She said this softly, admitting to herself that she wasn't happy to relay on this curse, sure it had become useful in the times of war but it didn't brought instruction for the war in the heart.

"Really?" A fake enthusiasm passed the gentle and sarcastic man's face. "Could you describe her?" He knew it hurt her but karma was better let without being controlled. Thought if he had any vague idea of how to control it he would have used many years ago.

"Umm, she seemed quite young maybe fifteen or sixteen, short brown hair, eyes the color of an emerald, petite body and ivory skin..." She had trailed off already knowing the destiny that lied in for the young female.

"Hmm could the world be any smaller..." A far away look crossed the once handsome man's face; he now knew which one of the two heroes was on her mind.

"What do you mean, love?" Her hands tightened the hold on his, worry starting to grow in her, the words of affection being part of years of custom, yet it still came out forced.

"Sounds like daughter of a human governor... Lilia or little Lily as we used to call her. I got to meet her when she was only a child… I remember it now; it was a little more than ten years ago. I had gone to the north to make a treaty of peace with those humans…" He stopped a small smile tugging at his lips; he had a beautiful memory of that land. "She was quite a curious one; I had spotted her playing with a strikingly beautiful woman, she looked a lot like her, well obviously it was her mother…" He stopped and looked at his wife's eyes, those eyes he had looked at for many years, those same eyes that once lusted for him, yet never loved.

"Go on." She slightly commanded him; it took him a few seconds to start to talk once more.

"Now where was I? Oh, I remember that once we got seated for the reunion and we started talking of the new treaty, she fell from the ceiling and on to the table."

"So that's why you came so happy from there?" She told him, her tone slightly harsh and menacing.

"What? No." And he started to cough; it made his body move forward in sudden and violent movements, with it remembering the time he had arrived with a smile on his face that never left him.

"Maybe it's better if I let you rest." She looked at him with an open heart, she had feelings for him but the hero she had fallen for still tried its best to keep claiming the top. "I'll go fetch the doctor."

Zelda upon noticing the deeper tone of the coughs she grew vaguely in alarm. His body wasn't holding on anymore, she trembled and the only thought that came to her, was to heal him herself. She succeeded in stopping his cough but noting more, his hand extended to her face and then she noticed the blood on his hand. However, it didn't last long there, he signaled to his night table. There laid a small vial of poison, a strong a potent one in a small green bottle.

"P-pro-t-tect yourself..."

Those were his last words; he had given out right after those words had left his lips. She couldn't help but stand there in shock noticing his empty blue eyes stare back at her. Her hands went to his cheeks expecting him to wake up and tell her it was all just an ill joke on her. She couldn't hold it and her hands moved down to his shoulders trying to wake him up. When no reaction was deemed she had nothing left but to cry and she cried. Her loud and touching emotions drove the guards outside to run to their marital room.

Her state of distress was soon enough rebounded to the new world when she heard the door blast open. Her son was standing there staring at her in a stoic pose, he couldn't believe his eyes. He was vivid, his face growing red and eyes set ablaze. He looked at his so called mother in pure rage, he hated her now more that before. She was the one who caused all the health problems for his dad; she was the one that was meant to be distrusted. She was the last thing he needed to see and here she was with her hands around his father neck, her face on to his chest faking her emotions.

She let go of the man she had learned to love once and tried to confront her silent son. She didn't know what to do, his eyes were crazed and his quiet reaction brought a brawl in to her mind. She tried to save him, but in the eyes of her son she was nothing more than a waste of space. With a little amount of strength she had gathered, she moved closer to her son. But he didn't budge, his eyes never left her; a wrinkled hand grew closer to his face. He still didn't show any sign of reason and didn't moved when her hand came to truly rest in his face.

She smiled inwardly to herself, this had been the first time in years she had been capable of touching her son. He was always trying to pry himself away from her touch and now he didn't moved. She was happy for her goal but felt something going horribly wrong. She starred to her son fiery blue eyes with her own ocean ones, his eyes were unreadable.

"My son, please forgive me I couldn't save him." She whispered with tears growing in her eyes once more.

He stood still, his breathing barely visible but something was truly wrong. After she had said those words something had awoken inside of him and it didn't stop him that she was his mother. A loud and harsh slap resounded throughout every room of the huge castle. In his eyes he had decided to beak every promise done to protect his mother; she wasn't worth the burden.

"Guards! Get this traitor away from me."

* * *

"_Zelda!"_

Away from Hyrule and in a snowy plain a warrior clad in green woke up harshly. He wished to have been there to be able to protect his love, from the rage of her dear son. He felt inutile and couldn't help but let it all out. Tears stung his eyes for the first time in half a century, he felt truly incapable of protecting her. Being the Hero of Time had changed everything he had lived for. She no longer was meant to be protected by him.

Still in tears, he moved forward and stood still in the spot he usually was found in after so many years. He looked down from the high peak he stood on. Near the lake was the female he had been watching over for the past two days. She had been coming in and out of the mansion, everything appeared as if she had lived and known this place fairly well. For now the apparently peaceful and clean demeanor she portrayed at the moment made him grin. She no longer was wearing those scrubby clothes; she must indeed have found the room in which the past mistress used to live in.

A small shiver run through the young woman, instantly she noticed she was being watched. She looked around and all she saw was snow with a bit of green appearing from underneath it all. She moved her sight behind her for the first time and noticed the hill a little from where the house stood on. With it she also noticed a body standing on top of it observing her. Just like the legends that had been spread around her town.

'_Link... the warrior clad in green.'_ She thought barely blinking in case the apparition decided to disappear from sight.

Without being asked or given any signal of an invitation the man started to go down the hill. The female nerves perked up and she thought of any way she could dismiss this seemingly casual meeting. She was afraid; that man was a stranger and a legend, but how was she so sure it was the legendary hero? She thought about moving, she thought about running but something, out of her control, was keeping her in place. She was scared, what was going on with her? Could the man approaching her be the cause, could _he_ be that powerful? She tried her best to calm down, being a wreck was not going to help her. But his slow and experts movement didn't help calm her nerves.

He stopped a few feet from her, probably thinking if what he was doing was the right thing. He hadn't gotten near her in two days, not even in the form she had first met him. He looked up and starred at her green eyes, her eyes big and widened demonstrating the feelings cursing trough her body. Thinking that probably it was better going back he started moving away from the female human. He didn't know what had possessed him to do such an act but he couldn't stand seeing her so close, she was after all a human, a species inferior to the Hylian.

"Please..." She said softly, the sound nearly drifting away with the wind.

"Yes?" He asked looking at her over his shoulder, curiosity was brimming his blue oasis.

"Don't leave." She said softly afraid that something might come to get her.

"Why do you request that of me?" He said, his eyes narrowing in obvious distrust. He wasn't about to repeat what had happened once.

Her hand extended timidly over to the tall blond in front of her. She was acting on instinct, by reason she didn't had an idea why or what got her to do this. He on the other backed away, in his mind he had made a mistake by walking over to her. Her face instantly fell and her hand moved to its respectful place next to her, she stood still for a while before backing away slightly. She wasn't about to pester a man who was extremely cautious.

"It's alright, I won't bother you anymore." She said to him, yet her sight stayed on her brown boots that slightly contrasted over the snow. Not seeing any response from the man who hadn't taken his eyes away from her she moved past him and in the direction of the mansion.

"I won't leave... I can't." His fire blue spinel eyes shone with a feeling he tried to hide and succeeded after a small internal fight.

"Why?" She had asked, her eyes staring at him from over her shoulder.

"I do not have to explain that to you." He answered fast once he noticed what was going on with him.

Not wanting to pressure a man she was scared of, she stayed quiet, giving him that way all the time in the world. After growing a bit unconformable with the immaculate silence she started to move once more in the direction of the mansion, his booted feet sounding when she moved in the snow. At that moment he suddenly felt something he hadn't felt in years, he felt bad. She was just a young human and he a hero who had grown impatient, yet she resembled that woman who had become his fall.

"What do you see in this lake so much?" The man asked, in his mind wondering if this was him seeking to be freed from his loneliness.

"Memories... It's all I got left… I guess." As those words left her mouth her demeanor changed, her shoulders slumped slightly and her sight lowered to investigate the worn out boots she wore.

"You used to live here?" He said his body fully turned, but all he could see was her back. She had made a small gesture with her head giving him the cue that he was wrong with his assumption. "You're Eve's daughter." He said this part more to himself than to anyone else, the tone so low she could have misheard him.

"Eve?" She questioned as she turned to face him, the name sounding familiar yet distant. "Who's Eve?" She asked this time, wondering what that name had to do with her.

"Isn't she your mother?" He asked his eyes narrowing. He was questioning what had that woman done this time. "She used to live in this house, left around seventeen years ago. I wouldn't be surprised if you are her kin."

"But… I don't remember my mother. She left us when I was around four or five." She voiced, her words ending in a questioning of herself. "Did you know her?"

"I believed I used to." With those words he left, but not before giving her a small advise. "I recommend you to get food before it gets dark and the stalfos come out."

"Hey, wait. Stalfos!" She answered back a small yell coming from her.

"Have you never seen one?" He answered calmly, being accustomed to that sight since he was a child. "Yes, stalfos. If you haven't seen one before they look like you but without skin and muscles." He said, once more turning his back to her and heading for the hill and away from her.

She didn't understand him, but his description of the stalfos was enough for her to feel scared. She quickly and inefficiently tried to run to his side but once she was close to him she nearly crashed on to the snow at his feet. She allowed a small shriek to come out of her lips yet she never felt the impact. Two strong arms were the cause of that, the man held her by the shoulders and stared directly into her widened eyes.

"Do they really look like that?" She asked him, this time forgetting she was in the arms of a handsome man.

"Urg, do you think I'm one to joke around?" He said as he let go of her shoulder, his eyes glaring at her.

"Well, how am I to know?" She asked her tone rising up one octave.

"I'm right in front of you; you don't have to raise your voice." He said in a low tone, his patience already near the breaking point.

"Oh, sorry." She said drily while at the same time she backed away from the man and moved to stand next to him. "If you're saying this place is dangerous, then I request protection."

"And who are you to request that of me?" He said, this time amused at her request.

"I… it doesn't matter!" She said as she stumped her feet on the floor.

He stayed silent for a few minutes, her stomping amusing him to no end. She was surely young and naïve. He scoffed slightly and thought: _'And to say she's asking a stranger whom she was scared of for protection.' _But then a thought came to him. _'What if she becomes useful? If she's Eve's daughter then she'll probably have gotten a few of her genes… what am I thinking? She looks too weak for this… but… what if I train her?'_

"Hello! Did you go deaf? Hello…" She said as she moved to his face to see if he would respond.

"I'll do it, but you'll have to do something in exchange." He stated as he stood up to his full height, in the way nearly knocking her down.

"Umm, what will I have to do?" She asked, now being unsure if this was the best thing to request him.

"I'll explain it later."

"Hey, wait a minute. Is this because of the fifty year curse?" She asked him, while she tried to remember who had told her of that myth.

"How do you know about it?" He asked slightly surprised at the information she had gathered.

"I don't remember, I think it was my uncle, but I don't really remember who." He narrowed his eyes at her words. His mind yelling out the only name he could come up with. _'Nathan!'_

"Then tell me what you know." He said, this time interested in what the daughter of Eve had to say.

"Yeah, umm… could we go inside?" She asked him as a cold wind blew past them, yet he didn't seem to react to the air.

"Go ahead, but keep a lookout for wolfos they like to hide in the snow." The last part he said with mirth, that fact being noticed evenly in his tone.

"Oh great, do I need a description of them?" She asked him as she started once more up the hill.

"Not really, you'll simply see them coming right at you." He answered, this time a grin caressing his features.

With that she left; muttering under her breath, something along the lines of _'I liked him better on the legends'_. She kept moving forward, but this time listening to anything that could resemble the sound a dog like animal would do. When noticing that nothing came her way she started a slow and awkward trot and soon after disappeared from view.

He smiled lightly for the first time in years. He had to admit he had been alone for many years and here came someone that resembled that traitor. _'She's definitely her daughter, but I don't know if it's safe here anymore. Things are changing; there are more monsters here than before and… Zelda, I'm sorry I can't be there to protect you… but I'll try to get to you.'_

"Had things been different if you hadn't betrayed me?" He pondered out loud as he looked at the darkening sky, his body walking away from the mansion on the hill he was standing on before. Once there he began to scout the area for wolfos.

* * *

Two men were inside a room adorned with the colors gold and maroon, both of them porting similar features but one younger than the other. The seemingly oldest one, with platinum blonde hair, sat on the only chair in the room, his face calm and starting to age, while his blue eyes stared at the dark and dusty ceiling. While that man sat in that position the other one moved from one part of the room on the right where a few torturing weapons rested and on to the other that was close to the door full of mites, leaving behind him on his pacing a royal blue cape that adorned his shoulders and back and instead of resembling the room color it related to the color of the leader of the army. They both stayed that way for a few more minutes, the pacing man staring at the other one from time to time.

"Will you stop moving already? I don't want you leaving a hole in this room." The one in the chair spoke, as his eyes stopped to glare at the blond man opposite to him.

"And since when do you care?" He stopped and moved closer to the man whose hair appeared white in the darkness of the room.

"My dear Kain… dear little brother…" The man said as he started to stand up from the chair a violet cape moving behind him. "I do care, I always did cared, but think of the people… this was hindering the progress of Hyrule, our father was no longer capable of ruling and extending the empire. And this… is where both of us come to the picture." In the end he stood his right hand resting on the left shoulder of the other man.

"You've lost it. You've gone mad." The man who answered by the name of Kain said.

"And so says the man who killed men with his bare hands and then drank the blood of his enemies to demoralize a whole army." The elder of the pair murmured. "You're no better than me." He moved his face closer to the younger man.

"What I do in battle doesn't have anything to do with this, Markus. Plus it was all a strategy." Kain said calmly, in the back of his mind thinking of redeeming himself of his past actions.

"And so was our plan, but at the last minute you had a change of heart. Why was it? Why was it that you couldn't follow simple orders? I mean, it never had happened before, you were always the obedient soldier who followed the orders of the Great Hero Yael." Markus spat out.

"Do not mention that man's name in that tone." Kain said in a menacing tone. "Now tell me, don't you feel any remorse?" He said this barely in a whisper as his hand gripped the tilt of his sword, he could end this dilemma before it started.

"Sometimes when you gain something, you must lose something of equal value. So just be patient brother." Markus said as he patted the man on the shoulder. "Now have you found out the sex of Nick's baby? Is it a boy?"

Kain paused for a few seconds before answering the hold on the sword diminishing, in his mind thinking what that simple answer could do. "It's a girl; she shouldn't pose as a threat."


	4. Chapter 03: By Your Side

**Hello and welcome, hope you all like the story so far and enjoy!**

* * *

**The Timeless Shadow**

* * *

"_True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country."_ -Kurt Vonnegut

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Chapter 03: By Your Side

* * *

A lone figure was seen walking around in a solitary room. The young female, with a long and flowing dress, gave some light in the umbra of the room. The way she walked around searching for something, seemed elegant as if she had been taught the ways of a lady. It came out natural in her; some could say it was a ritual she was trying to perfect.

After a few minutes of looking for another book to read she stopped. Moving over to a chair in the middle of the room, she dropped her body, making a soft _thud_ on the way. The chair was armless and seemingly uncomfortable but her exhaustion controlled her body. It had been weeks since she found herself locked in this predicament. She even tried to leave, but found herself stuck in place permanently, not being capable of freeing herself.

The memory of the day she tried to leave kept lingering in her mind. That striking and mysterious terror that had swept her of her feet, literally, had her partially frozen in time. The cold around her grew intense and stationary. She was fancying that she could keep going but something had decided to stop her dead in her tracks. It was a group of wolfos, she had crossed the limit in wish she was protected by the unknown force in the area. Not that she could truly leave as she had predicted not so long ago.

When she had gotten near the cave, not only monsters started to come out; but her terror decided to take over her. The darkness she saw on the cave had stunned her. She was glued to the spot and wondered where she was going to run to now. The wolfos had started circling around her and barging their long canines at her. However, she was too stiff to move, thanks to fear that had frozen her to the bone. Her green eyes spoke of it for her and it became a real dead end, one she wouldn't escape unlike the one that had brought her to that place.

Suddenly it became water like clear; she could go to the cave and finally be freed of this curse. Her eyes grew fearless for a moment, embracing the power of the unknown in the carbon color walls of the cave. In her eyes the bigger than human wolfos had transformed in to small dogs. But the mere mirage had stopped as soon as it came. The biggest of the wolfos, who easily towered two feet over her, ran over to her defenseless body. This time unlike the other times, she crossed her arms protectively over her face demonstrating the fear she felt.

She had waited for the impact with her eyes clenched shut, but it never came. She had heard a grunt in front of her and it scarred her who could be dumb enough to jump against such an opposing foe. Opening her eyes slightly, she noticed the figure in green standing in front of her. She grew relieved but her eyes widened when she finally noticed the huge animal biting down to the arm of the male that was protecting her.

He had pushed the animal off him with little effort and somehow after noticing fully of his presence the pack of wolfos ran away in to the cave. The female who insisted on being called Lilia, watched silently the tall man, standing less than a feet from her. She was still scared but calmed down greatly by his presence; it was something he usually brought to her. He simply looked over at her and smiled, she couldn't tell if it was genuine or if it was a way of masking his temper, yet his eyes demonstrated the worry his lips tried to hide.

"Don't do that again..." His smiled had changed to a stern look, but it failed fast noticing the slumped shoulders of the girl.

"Sorry!" She whispered as a tear began to fall down her cheek, and then many more that followed suit. "I'm so sorry!" She repeated once more as she felt the water leaving from her eyes leave cold stains on her cheeks.

"Uh…" He had lost himself. _'Stop, no, no, no don't cry now!'_ He screamed in his head, his mind going back to when he had made Malon cry. "Calm down." He said to her as he took hold of her shoulders. "Don't cry Lily." He said thinking that a nickname would calm her down. "Damn it! This is why I hate working with teenagers." He murmured.

"Wha?" She asked as she looked up at him, the tears stopping their flow.

"Uh?" He asked confused at her change of thought, but then he remembered his own curse and thoughts. "Did I said that out loud?"

He looked at her and then nodded. _'At least she didn't scream at me, not that I should care for her screaming at me. She should be happy that I saved her.'_ He thought a bit arrogantly but then stopped once more on his thoughts when he saw her holding back a small laugh.

Pushing herself forward and ignoring the man before her she started to stroll back to the mansion in which her family had lived once before. Already forgetting the quest she had pinned herself to do. He on the other hand followed her, not close but keeping a safe distance from the strange girl, all of it because he had no idea how she took his thought on teenagers. However, his steps unlike his counterpart were shallow and careful. It was easy to tell she was having trouble in with walking on the foot deep snow.

Out of nowhere but pretty much expected by him, the female a few steps ahead fell, got her leg trampled on the snow. An uncalculated step was the power of reason to her fall. She grumped lightly but as soon as she fell she felt two strong hands helping her up, she relaxed lightly knowing who the person was. He was right by her after all, protecting her, even from her own errors. She cursed inwardly at her stupidity but her eyes caught the glimpse of the bitten arm. A few holes layered around it but in a strange way out of the normal, where teeth were once sunken in was sign no blood.

"Your arm." It wasn't a full sentence but the statement made the male stop and glance at his own injured arm. "Let me see, please... Link." The name sounded a little foreign coming from the female but was also pleasant to the ears of the Hero of Time, him thinking that at least she wasn't mad at him.

"It's ok, I learned long ago that this body of mine can't bleed or feel pain." He had looked away staring over to the lake that in the distance resembled a pond. "It's been fifty years." He said resembling an aged man. "…not that I am needed around anymore." He said sadly, thinking of the news of Zelda's marriage.

"There must be a way to break this curse!" At her sudden outburst he stepped back, his eyes taking her in from afar. "It isn't right; it made me loose my mother. I'm its next victim; please! We need to do something." Her words were indeed true; yet she couldn't take controls of her fears and once more tears ran freely from her eyes.

"Oh Din…" He whispered as he thought of a way to handle such a big child. "Look Lilia let's go inside. I think the cold is making you more harm than good." He said trying to help her but failing miserably in his quest. _'I should have taken those courses to deal with human emotions, oh Zelda! Why didn't I didn't listen to you!'_ He thought as he began to push the female towards the mansion. "Come on soldier, keep going." He told her as used to tell his own soldiers.

Growing back to the present, the pale female looked to the pile of books in a corner. That entire search seemed inutile after everything that was written she had already learned from the bedtimes stories her mom used to tell her. She had searched them all with the help of the man who she had grown to like due to his awkward moments with feelings. _'He's funny._' She thought as she began to giggle at his serious and uncomfortable moments with feelings. _'I wonder if he'll ever learn.'_

Their difference became more insignificant over the weeks in which they both had become closer. She had never been so close to a male in her life, he made her smile and laugh like no other. He was always serious and quiet when near her, yet there was always a mean comment that would begin a quarrel between the two of them. It usually began early in the morning when she would see him in this room, she would blush at his appearance, the first time she saw him when he was shirtless. Usually she would blush and quickly say good morning, soon after disappear into the library.

Being the curious teenager she was, she had searched the whole mansion. Some areas of it in which she was either too weak to open the doors or too scared to move forward. Searching her favorite room in the huge house wasn't so bad once she repressed the memories of her mother. Inside that room she found her mothers clothes and jewelry, which now fit her perfectly. On one of her searches she had come upon her mother's napkin, it was small and pink with yellow dots, one of the items around the house that hadn't weathered out.

'_Maybe it was waiting for me all along..._' She thought as she looked out to the lake, her eyes searching for a green dot.

Holding again the pink tissue on her hand and close to her heart she started to doze off, in the chair she had fallen on top, in to a much welcomed sleep. The chair was uncomfortable but her mind and body didn't mind, she just simply felt at ease. Her slumber had just begun but she didn't wake up when the door opened. She also hadn't awoken when someone was carrying her out of the room; she simply cuddled closer to the heat falling faster into deeper grounds of sleep.

Link starred at her pale face, her peaceful and angel like features made him forget of his curse. Heat warmed him and suddenly he felt very much alive. After the weeks had passed he had grown real fond of the female, barely leaving her alone and always watching out for her. But he knowingly felt himself falling; unbeknownst to the female he began to grow a feeling of likeness for the young girl. He would never call his feelings out, he felt truly embarrassed by the fact of falling again, and much less for someone who by age could be his granddaughter.

He laid her down on the room he had known to be from the old owner of the house. _'Her mother was truly beautiful; she looks a lot like her. Sad thing, that woman didn't deserve to die. Lilia... of all the people around here... why you? You took the place your family tried to protect you from. Is it really meant for you to be next?'_ He thought, he was silently caressing her face, sometimes he would get a reaction and in his heart he would feel something abnormal.

Pushing away from the sleeping form of a female, he backed to pick up the only book she had never thought of opening. He knew what he had to do, what he had to sacrifice thanks to that single book. Her mother's diary, it was old and fully written, but it held secrets greater than any other books he had seen on the manor. She described it all, the curse and how to break it. But he hadn't picked it up for that reason; he wanted to know more about that family and the army they had begun.

'_The gods placed a curse on them due to their pagan beliefs and the danger they were to the hylians.'_ He thought angrily, clenching his fist at the thought of the fate of Hyrule if they had been successful in their raid.

* * *

The old and wrinkled Zelda staggered around the palace halls. She had a reunion to attend to, its importance being kept secret from her malicious and greedy son. That oldest son she had was trying his best efforts dethrone her, but she was still standing strong and capable, fully aware of his real intentions. The only problem that stood between the dethroning was the High Council. That group of men, whose most of them had a close age gap with the Queen's, most of them didn't agree on the plans forming underground.

A reunion had been called especially for the country's economy and welfare. After the death of the King the moral in the castle had gone down, he was indeed loved man. But it became worse when they had to break the news to the people. Not long after the news was told it spread like an epidemic. The people were sad and mad at the same time, a rumor that had begun spoke of _murder_.

"My Queen!" The usually quiet room became a roar of pleas.

"Stop! One at a time… uh? Where's Nick and Kain?" She asked softly as she noticed her younger children weren't in the room.

"Nick excused himself with the duty of a father and Kain sent a representative." The oldest and wisest of the men told Zelda, him being the leader of the council. "This young man here is Sir Mikav, a nobleman and second in command of Hyrule's army."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my queen. I hope that my services become of great aid to your needs." The man told her as he looked at her directly, his eyes holding down her own stare.

"Alright then, let's begin. The economy has been at a great downfall for us but any news on the murderer?" She said in a booming and echoing voice, the strength she held in it commanding even the bravest of men.

"We have our reserves on the identity of the murderer, the vial in the room was examined and it held the herbs to relieve your husband's disease. However, the doctor certified that due to his symptoms he had been poisoned." The leader of the council spoke, with each word he spoke of Zelda's face multiplied the pain she felt.

"But Prince _Markus_ is on the move. He's already rounding the people he needs, there's little chance to counter his plans peacefully. Lamely if we don't find anything to stop him the dethroning will be inevitable." A young associate told the Queen with his most utter respect, but not holding back his loathe to the prince.

"What about our economic and the people?" The ruler asked, the talk of her son hurting her.

"The economy had been given a push thanks to the trading with Termina, Kakariko, the Zora's and in the old Hyrule plains Lon Lon Ranch has is no longer on the breach. The people here still seem to be stricken by the shock but the worst is over." A tall skinny middle aged man spoke.

"Good, any wars or enemy on the corner?" She had started to get bored; she knew things will get better sooner or later, but as she asked that her gaze was held once more by the man named Mikav.

"Last week the village in the far north reacted and had all of our soldiers pull back from their ranks." Mikav spoke, his gruff and grumpy tone told all that was planned didn't go well.

"What? But how? Everything should have gone by my husband planned it." Her eyes widened at the uncomfortable news.

"Yes, but problems grew when the governor's daughter disappeared. Some villagers' saw the men run after her in their attempts to retrieve her and bring her back safely. As you can see everything went out of our control right after it. A report from our men spoke of massive weapons held by giants and of projectiles ignited by fire." The man spoke as rage reflected on his eyes.

"Were there many causalities?" The grey headed woman spoke.

"Fifty-five were hurt because of the projectiles and eighteen of them died because of the wounds. The death rate of the battle has not been calculated, but official writing states of one that died by a wolf. Stupid animal made us loose one of our knights." He kept his rambling for once being proud he was one to talk.

"Alright, send the family the condolences of the throne."

After all his empty headed words, Zelda didn't spoke. She had turned to stare at the floor instead of the faces of the other men in the room. She couldn't believe her powers were still so vivid after the years. _'Link, you haven't changed. That girl Lilia, as my husband called her... is she really the one chosen? Would it mean that both of us would have never been meant? Please protect her; I already had my special person... its time you had yours, love her as you loved me.'_

"My lady." She jumped at the sudden words of her oldest council member. "Try not to sleep on us; age is not so positive on some."

"Oh sorry, thank you very much." She gave the men surrounding her, an apologetic smile.

"My Queen, this is all for now. Go rest. We shall summon your presence if needed." The old man got up helping the Queen he's known since young up to her feet.

"Queen Zelda, Queen Zelda!" The same young pager that had called her weeks ago came up to her. Not forgetting to bow he didn't waited to speak the message he had been sent with. "Your son, Prince Markus is requesting your presence this instant."

Looks off worry were immediately exchanged by the High Council. Those men had seen the repulsion that man had for his mother since he was small. Some of them wanted to hold her away, just so she can be protected from that beast of a son she has. The wisest of the all squeezed Zelda's shoulder apprehensively; he had known her since young and knew what she was already expecting from the Prince of Hyrule.

"Oh, where is he?" She knew what her son was planning, especially when he wanted her out of her comfort zone.

The young boy eyes brightened and he spoke: "Follow me." Already being eager to show his duty and compromise to the prince who had taken him in, as the son he could never have.

Zelda followed briskly, not looking back to where the group of men, she had shared nearly a life with, stood. She grew wearier, her son used to talk pest of this page boy and now he was using him for his evil deeds. She shook her head and didn't notice she had already gotten to the place where her son was awaiting her. Following the orders given the page boy didn't enter the room; he simply stood outside wishing he could know what would enroll in there.

"Oh welcome _mother_, please feel yourself at home... I've just been waiting so long to talk to you." The fake friendly tone of Markus had taken her back; the way he spoke was full of spite, that venom that run trough his veins.

"What do you truly want Markus?" She wasn't amused at all.

"You know what I want mother. Defect your position as Queen, it's really simple you just have to crown me King." He said, observing the ring he had taken from his father after his death.

"You know I can't do that, the people need me!" She moved closer to him, she suddenly got the feeling of spanking him till he converted.

"Oh please mother, why would the people need such an old hag in control?" He was indeed indirectly showing off the ring. "Don't you like dad's ring, too bad I had to kill him to get it, he was pretty amusing, I would say."

"You monster! How dare you even call yourself my son!" She was boiling mad, her powers coming of and rejuvenating the wrinkled skin.

"Stop being so great and full of virtue, it gets boring. Plus I just simply grew tired of waiting for him or you to die."

She looked away from her son, already knowing she could tell the people what he had done. But apparently he had planned it all, he was loved by the people and during the last few days he had gotten on their side. They would believe him more, this wasn't something she should have to think much but banishing him would be a great error. He had trapped her, she wasn't sure of what to do now.

"So mom, would you cooperate for my cause? I will obviously last longer in ruling so don't worry much about the people."

"Don't ever get so cocky son, it will be your downfall. But just tell me, how can you live with it?" She kept calling him son but only by title, she didn't show any feelings for the assassin of her husband.

"Mom, you're so funny! Dad was noting to me so don't bother much." His grinning was taken as evil and this time he stared at her dead in the eyes. "But now my dear mother, knowing you won't give the crown, I'll take it on my own. Guards!"

Zelda tried her best to move or run away, but they had always been there watching from the shadows. Those specially trained soldiers waiting the right moment for their leader to call them and give them the signal or simple order. The older Zelda grew tired fast and stopped struggling after a few minutes had passed. Markus on the other hand came closer to her and kissed her cheek for the first time since he was a child.

"My you used to be beautiful, where did that power went to now? Don't worry much mother I am just taking what is rightfully mine. Guards imprison her in her room." With a wave of his hands the knights had taken her out of his Quarters.

* * *

It wasn't as bad as she expected him to do but this was just the beginning. She had to find a way to leave everything she loved behind and not look back on it. The only person, who had been permitted to enter her room, ran in it the instant the word was spread to the castle. She in her young twenties, looked like a lady of power and wealth, but she had noting. She was simply living in this place as a handmaid to the Queen, not that she really needed to work. Her parents had left her long ago a house in the old Kariko village. Her vibrant red eyes shone with worry thinking mostly about her mistress health.

"_Senia_, let us go, you know the way." The old Zelda followed one of the last living Sheikah throughout the secret passage only they knew.


	5. Chapter 04: Protected

**Hello and welcome back, this is chapter four, hope that you all enjoy.**

* * *

**The Timeless Shadow**

* * *

"_People protect what they love." – Jacques Yves Cousteau _

* * *

Chapter 04: Protected

* * *

Lilia sat quietly on the stair way to the mansion. She was contemplating on how the spring had come and seemed as if it would love to stay, but she knew better than that. In five more months snow will come again, everything will become impenetrable and she would get stuck in this place once more. Somehow she hasn't thought about truly leaving, she felt accepted here.

A dog's head hitting her hand made her realize she had stopped petting him again. Link loved the attention he got from the female in his wolf form, since he suddenly began to grow a tendency of growing shy around her. She smiled looking down at him; he truly did like getting petted. For him her small hands around his head felt like a much needed massage. Everything here was good and even the memories they had created along the way had become great. She remembered when she first petted him like this; he had forgotten that in this form she could listen to his thoughts.

'_Don't laugh.'_ He already knew what she was thinking but chuckled mentally at the memory.

She stifled a small laugh but he had heard it, "I just can't help it Link."

'_I'll bite you if you keep laughing.'_ He said while grinning but she couldn't see it in this form.

"Nice one Link, then you'll have something to laugh at." She told him, while petting him a little more.

Suddenly their fun and teasing had stopped abruptly. Lilia looked out towards the cave; Link didn't notice the change in mood and hit her hand once more with his head. He didn't receive the reaction he had wanted but then noticed the change in mood and how she had gotten up to get a better look. He changed over to his human form and stood behind her. With his trained eyes he tried his best to get sight of what had intrigued the teenage female in front of him.

"What is it?" He asked holding back his desire to grab her and pull her closer to him.

"That's my father's flag." She signaled towards the cave in which Link couldn't see anything.

"There's nothing there Lily." He said while grabbing her shoulders, afraid that she would leave his side.

"You can't see it? It's brown with two rapiers crossed over a green and red shield." She said as she looked away towards the cave, clearly making the difference of the darkness and the flag.

"I can't see it." He stated as he looked once more.

"You might not see it Link, but I do." She told him, but by the time she had said that he started to see the group of men far off in the distance, the flag she had described him becoming clearly visible. It was the same detail as the one that decorated the mansion in multiple places, the same as _that_ woman used to wear. "Let me go." She finally commanded him, resentment evident in her voice.

He didn't notice he was holding her in place, not that he would have wished for her to leave. She was already in the mood to run away, but he couldn't bear having her leave his side, not now. However, with Link being a great hero he was not one to hold someone he cared for captive, even if his unconscious told him otherwise.

Eventually he let go of her shoulders and watched as she ran, being careful in case she tripped on the way, the wet grass feeling different under her boots. Halfway to her destination she stopped and stared at the man she used to call father. That older man had quickly turned the march to an upright halt, he saw his daughter standing alone on top of that hill. He didn't know what to do, not being part of her life for seven years made him unable to predict her actions. She was an unpredictable force, controlled by her emotions and ruled by her fear.

'_She was never meant to be this special.'_ The girl father thought with a hint of sadness while observing closely for her next move.

Lilia, feeling the hostility from her father's comrades, looked down. The distance was the proof of how much she was wanted by them. However, her brown boots suddenly became really interesting in her mind. She never noticed the man in green move in behind her. He was glaring with his ocean eyes towards the group of armed men. He, unlike the female, would never be scared of such a sight, for him it was pitiful comparing it to the army Zelda commanded back in his days. _'Back in my days…'_ He thought as he looked down at the teenager, her eyes once more on the group of men. _'I'm beginning to think like an old man.'_ He thought once more as he stared where the young female was looking at. In his dark blue eyes they were truly noting, he had faced far worse before in his past, some of those fears that even today wouldn't die.

The army taking notice of the tall male behind the girl started their march out again. The father was pissed, _'how could she leave her people for such a monster, didn't her mother taught her some honor?'_ He wasn't about to forgive her and commanded the men to move, the sound of their feet on the grass boomed around the now spring filled mountain. She grew startle and slightly scared of the dark aura she could perceive from the men, even with the long distance separating them. Backing away in fear she hit something hard and warm. She looked behind herself and strained a bit her neck to finally be able to stare at the glaring face of Link.

Her father saw her examining the cursed face of what appeared to be a young male and then the Hero of Time broke up in a warm smile; him staring back at her, his smile reassuring. She smiled back at him lightly and allowed him to place his arm around her protectively; protecting her like a dog would do to their owner. This simple act brought to her a strange feeling in her belly; she looked down and knitted her brows together, the strange feeling coming back when she stared at his face.

She thought back to the day for when this had become a routine, they would casually talk and most of the time ending up in a fight. Yet as always he would curse her for her young age and naïve self, soon after she would begin to ignore him. It would last for a day, she hiding and him thinking how to fix what he had said, but it always came to the same ending. She would sit at dawn in the same spot every day, her eyes starring dreamily at the sun set, ignoring the fight, he would join her. Both of them staring away to the view the setting sun offered them, he would look at her, his eyes appearing green due to the orange glow and hers color similar to honey, he would grin at her and she would end up shaking her head, her shoulder length her moving softly.

Soon enough a small smile would grace her lips and her head would rest on his shoulder, his arm moving unconsciously to her shoulder. She would usually breathe in and close her eyes, opening them once she freed the breath she had taken in. He would look down on her and ask her: _"Peace?" _Yet every time she answered something different, the last time that happened leaving a bitter taste in him.

"_We're friends; it's okay if we fight."_ She told him as she got up from her spot, but soon enough doubling over to leave a soft kiss on his cheek. _"Come, let's eat I'm starving."_ She told him as she began to move once more to the mansion, yet she never once noted his sour expression at her comment.

By the time she had gotten out of her day dream she saw the huge group of armed men a few feet before her. Her dad as the leader stood there while glaring at the man who stood behind her. He hadn't always been the kindest man but he wasn't the worst one possible. He was a big man, someone who would easily scare any enemies; his eyes were small compared to his face, his head beginning to show hair loss, making him look easily ten years older. But he wasn't as old as he appeared to be, his age still five years short of his forties, and soon enough he began to talk, his loud voice creating a small echo to his surroundings.

"Give me my daughter, _Link_." Link glared at his command and held her closer to him, her eyes staring between both men. The father of the girl was raged, if he were to become a monster at that moment he would have been a dragon baring its teeth at them, that's how Lilia imagined it to be.

"What if I don't? Or what? You plan on taking her away so you could punish her in that dark room?" Link glared at the man with passion, he wasn't planning on letting go of her. Yet she shivered lightly, the thought of that room making her take a weak hold on Link's chest, her body moving closer to him in search of protection.

"What I do with her has nothing to do with you. Now if you pardon me I have my daughter to take back." The huge man said, while at the same time moving forward to retrieve his daughter.

Yet Link's sharp reaction had surprised the humans surrounding them. As quickly as possible he had hidden the girl behind him and took a knife out and pointed it at the man throat. He wasn't lying when he meant that he would protect the girl with his life, even if he couldn't die he still knew he could harm people. His instincts had kicked in but he wasn't ready for the girl to come to him and pull his arm down, the knife no longer pointing at the large man, but instead at the grass.

"Don't, it's not worth it." She never left his side or her hold on his arm but looked towards her father and then spoke. "Bo, take your people and leave." She said as she called her father by his name. "Neither you nor Layla could have stopped this from happening."

"You imprudent girl, can't you see me and your mom were just trying to protect you? And here you are feeding yourself to the wolf." He came over to her menacingly, ignoring the presence of the man who she was still attached to.

"Don't call her my mom!" She yelled, yet when she saw him move closer she opened her mouth once more. "Don't touch me!" She screamed in fear, holding tightly the arm of the blonde.

The man didn't listen to the frightened girl screams and took hold of her arm. His grip was strong and made her hiss in pain. He was adamant; he wasn't planning on getting out of this place without the girl in his arms. But the now cold Link put his hand on the arm that was holding the girl. He wasn't about to let this man do something against Lilia's wish. Link had his pride and knew not to push people against their own will.

"She said don't touch her." Link's voice was cool and cold, no emotion traced in it. His grip on the man tightened showing that he wasn't playing, the knife he once held at the man's throat readily at his side.

"If this is how you're going to play then, my friends…" He began, the last part being referred to the group of men that came with him. "Let us show this _Hylian_ the power of human masses." He said to the men behind him giving a loud and booming laugh to the air, yet this time he did let go of his daughter's arm.

The men began to move around them. Link felt lost, no matter how much they would try to hit him he will never die but he couldn't risk having the girl on his arm to get hurt. By the time they all surrounded them fully Lilia was a river of tears and fears. She didn't want to leave Link's side, she was truly happy with a friend like him at her side. One of the things she truly didn't want to admit but said it in her roar of tears was the three simple words that soon after she said them began to haunt her mind.

"I love you." She murmured, tears rolling down her cheek, she beginning to believe she was about to die.

The world in which Link now stood froze. He wondered what happened to his cold and fiery feeling, since he now felt warm and fuzzy inside. _'She loves me? How can that be possible? No, no this is a joke it can't be possible, she's just scared to death.'_ He thought as she looked down on her, her body shivering and her face extremely pale, she looked pitiful. _'She's your extreme opposite.'_ He thought as he remembered Zelda commanding the men in battle. _'Damn it!' _He cursed in his mind as he noticed the men had surrounded them. "Damn teenagers." He muttered under his breath but left the thought run away as he remembered his surroundings.

One of the bravest of the men surrounding him, leapt up to attack him. He simply picked up the girl warping both arms on her, her body becoming stiff with his touch, once he had a good hold on her he side stepped the attack. The increase in movement made her scream lightly and grab hold of Link's green tunic, hiding her face to his chest. The man attacking stopping his movement due to her scream; her father would surely have his head now. He was mean to the teenager but he was also over protective of her, the teenager being his only daughter.

"Calm down I'm here." Link whispered in the ear of the weeping girl, her body shivering in his arms. "Calm down," he repeated, "you're safe with me." He kept going, not just calming her down but trying to console her.

"Get your hands of my daughter before I kill you!" Bo, the big and grumpy father of Lilia, screamed at the blonde holding her. "You beast! You hurt her, she screamed of pain!" He bellowed once more but this time getting in strike position.

"Just go." She whispered, her voice muffled by the green vest of the Hero of Time. "Leave me alone!"

At hearing her words Link felt hurt, his hold on her shoulders weakening, his eyes no longer on the man prepared for battle. _'One minute she says she loves me and the next she's telling me to leave. I can't really get her.'_ He thought as began to let go of her shoulders, his feet moving shyly away from her.

"Not you." She ordered, her hands tightening her hold on him, this time her father heard. "Him!" She said louder this time, her hand pointing at the large man she knew as her father.

"Wait, what!" He yelled his sword moving down as he tried to listen to what she had said.

"She wants you to leave." Link said as he glared at the man, his arms once more holding her.

"Lilia, you can't stay here." He told her as he moved closer, him growing accustomed to the sight of the man holding his daughter. "You know your family history." Her father looked around nervously and without giving any sign other than his vicious eyes; the men sheathing their weapons placed their weapons on the floor. "Let us reason." He tried again to win his daughter over; she had her mother's temper after all.

"The only reason left is for you all to leave." Lilia screamed this time, giving in to her childlike tantrum.

"My little flower, please reason, night will get to us and we will die if we are out there."Her father tried again to reason but her glare was enough to make him seal his lips, tear trails being visible in her cheeks.

The up roar in the men around them startled the leader of the group. He had come to pick up his daughter but now the men that had volunteered were planning on going back on their word. They just didn't think it was fair for them to suffer thanks to the stuck up attitude of a mere child. They had nowhere to go and the sun was setting in a few hours making any place dangerous. All of them tried to reason with the girl but at the same time some were protesting against the father of Lilia. Some went farther away and began to set up camp without Bo's permission.

"Everyone calm down." Link's calm voice appeared from behind the girl. "Lily, go back to the mansion, it's not safe for you to stay here." He continued as he turned the teenager over and held her shoulders, the way he spoke to her similar to how he would speak to a young child.

"But..." He silenced her with a single motion of his hand. He had in his past life held his own grudges but none of them had gone to this point.

"Go, if you want to camp out with us then do it. But don't forget to change to something warmer, oh and you could bring them some blankets." He said kindly while pushing her to go to the mansion.

"Will you be here?" She asked him shyly, her big eyes staring up at him, the sun beginning to go down behind them.

"Yes." He replied courtly as he stared down at her. The father of Lilia looking at them from afar, his eyes showing a pang of sadness in them, _'I came too late…'_ he thought as he saw his daughter move away quietly.

* * *

Inside a room in the palace Nick sat there waiting to see his children. He was nervous; his children were something he had been waiting for since the day of his marriage to a wonderful woman. Even if he had been late at the age of forty one to begin fathering children he didn't mind, he wanted to make sure that he was making the right decision. It was that the reason that being part of the royal family meant fathering children by the age of fifteen but he hadn't been planning on following the tradition set by his ancestors.

From past family experience he knew Markus had tried following the tradition but never once could he father a son nor a daughter. He was what the doctor determined to be infertile. With his first wife he tried for two consecutive years, never once fathering a child with her. Due to that the marriage was annulled, she lost all status as a noble woman and now lives like a commoner with around six children. Soon after annulling the marriage he got himself a second wife, she had been what family members thought to be perfect for him and with her at his side he appeared to be more human. That marriage lasted five years and the story repeated itself, she had been stripped of all titles she had and now works as a servant to the palace. Rumor has it, that it was the only way that she could frequent him at night. A few years after the second annulment Markus married for a third time, she wasn't the marriage type, having bedded different men from the three in line to the throne, to different knights, religious leaders and noble men. With her there was a child born but black curly hair, dark eyes and tanned skin was easily to identify that the child born in that marriage didn't belong to Markus. She was expelled from castle town, taking her child away to the land the father of the child owned.

Due to his elder brother history Nick thought that his fate would be sealed. He thought that he wouldn't see a child bear his blonde hair or his sky blue eyes, but less than six months into the marriage his wife became sick. He took care of her during her faintness but then the doctor decided to speak to him, he thought she must be really ill. But what the doctor told him was that time proved wrong and that he didn't carried the childless fate his brother did.

Breaking away from his dream like memories, Nick awakened fully with a knock on the door. He was in his office, the papers on top of the desk being ignored at the moment. He looked to his right and saw the hidden door that connected to his bedroom open slightly. Standing up he moved quickly towards the heavy door and helped the person on the other side open it. He knew he had left it open, and that was the reason he didn't feel alerted. On the other side of the door he was met face to face with an aged maid around sixty years of age. She smiled at him, it was a difficult labor, lasting twelve hours and taking the best of her and the young mother. Yet she was proud of her, not many women survive such a strenuous labor.

Nick looked down on the woman; she appeared to be tired but a successful look dawned on her face. That had made the prince smile, small wrinkles appearing on the corner of his eyes. The aged woman looked up at him and smiled. With it she said to the prince, "you got a healthy baby boy and a beautiful princess." She said sweetly.

The prince smiled broadened and he moved closer to the door, the woman blushed slightly and backed away. Using his influence the charismatic prince smiled and asked: "May I?"

The woman shuttered, she became nervous and answered the prince with a _'yes'_, while at the same time she moved aside to allow him to pass. With her permission Nick moved forward and entered his bed chambers. The first part of the room was a small living room, the decoration being golden and maroon. A few book cases stood on the walls surrounding the room and a small table in the middle, surrounded by a collection of different couches. On top of the couch that sat near the exit to the room sat a few slightly bloodied sheets.

He knew the blood was normal during a birth but he had never witnessed one to actually tell how much. It was another thing deep in their tradition, the man couldn't be there to help, and most maids he asked simply stated that he would get in the way of their work. Once more he tried to fight against tradition, as he had done when choosing a wife, but this time every woman, those attending his wife and even his own wife didn't allowed him to be present during the labor.

Everything passed; Nick entered the room for the first time in days. There he saw his wife holding two small bundles in her arms. He smiled some more, his two children in the arms of their mother. Moving closer he stood beside her, she looked up at him and smiled, both were quiet staring at the new comer. Yet both parents looked away from their children and their sight fell on the woman standing near the door that led to their bed chambers. The maid was still there her eyes glowing with excitement.

The young mother laughed at her and said, "oh Nana, would you mind?" The wife of the second prince of Hyrule said as she shooed away the elder woman. Once she left the wife looked up once more towards her husband and told him, "you're such an asshole!"

Nick laughed, knowing his wife was joking with him. Shaking his head at her he looked down at his new born children, pale skin and white blonde hair identified them as his. He smiled, his children, the future rulers. "Which one is my boy?"

"The one on the left," she said as she pushed the male baby up slightly so that Nick would pick him up.

Nick picked the baby carefully in his arms, and looked at its face. It was small, the skin slightly red and big dark eyes looking up at him, its tiny hands holding the sheet that covered him. It was his baby, the third in line to the throne.

"Mia…" he began softly but his wife interrupted him.

"Their eyes should clear up, they tend to change when babies." Mia answered him without knowing his question.

"That wasn't what I was about to ask, but thanks for clearing that up." Nick said as he kept evaluating his son. "So… what shall we name him?"

"How about Mattew?" She said as she looked up at her husband.

"Now _that_ would have to be approved by the high council." A new male voice said the cockiness in it being what identified the owner of the voice.

Quickly Nick's face grew slightly red and he moved the new born back to its mother's arms. Moving towards the new comer he yelled its name with rage, "Kain!"

* * *

A run away Queen and her faithful servant, were seen moving as sneaky as they could around the hidden passage ways of the Castle. The age of the older of the two didn't really slow them down since that woman was still agile for her age. She felt like back in the days in which she had disguised herself as Sheik so that she could guide Link around. Those were truly her days; she missed them and missed dearly being the Princess of Destiny. The few but selected memories of those days seemed to have gotten a sigh from the now withering Queen.

"My Queen is something wrong?" The young Senia was at her side in a flick of a wrist.

"No." Zelda laughed at the young adult's worry. "It's just that I was thinking of the time when I was young."

Senia looked to her side and sighed lightly, she had truly thought something was wrong. "Don't scare me again like that my lady."

Zelda shook her head and continued her stroll. The girl acted too much like her old best friend, she was indeed a descendant from him. Even if throughout the years the memory were kept vivid, he was her most faithful servant and worked for years at her side. That was until her husband decided to begin an expansion of the land belonging to Hyrule. Sheik had decided that it was good for the people of Hyrule but he wasn't about to leave away his people. His passion had become Kakariko village after the death of the Great Impa. It was a great loss but he dealt with it fine, even naming his daughter after Impa, calling her Impaz to mark the difference.

"Hey Senia, how do you believe Impaz is doing?" Zelda asked as she continued her trek around the stairs.

"Oh, you mean mom? Well yea she must be alright… I guess that knowing her she must already be ahead of us." She answered a little distracted just so she can keep a look out for any soldiers.

Silence consumed them again and they left it that way. Zelda was having a little more trouble by the time they had gotten to the unused sewers. She was sweating and cursing due to the pain on her bones but that didn't stop her from continuing. She was a strong woman after all, but the young female next to her seemed not to be fazed by physical action they were both doing. She was as calm and collected as her grandfather was during time like these. The Sheikah qualities never seemingly to stop amazing the aged Zelda.

"Want to stop?" She asked with consideration of the older woman.

"No, let us keep going. There's a hidden part of the sewers in which we could take a break but it's still dangerous in here." She answered stubbornly towards the young adult.

After walking again for a few more minutes in the disgusting and foul smelling water, Zelda had decided to take a much needed break. This small clearing in the middle of the sewers they found was what both females needed. Feeling conscious of their endangered life, the young female stayed alerted. They were still in a danger place and the last thing they both needed was a self-proclaimed safety.

"Senia, we should keep going." The wise Queen told her hand maid, which also served as a bodyguard.

"What? But we should rest a bit more, you need it." The girl said scrubbing her face in worry for her Queen.

"No, this is fine. My son might already know of our escape route and might be even toying with us." Zelda told the dirty blonde before her.

The girl didn't commented anymore; she had a guilty look on her face. She simply got up from the corner and started guiding the old woman towards _freedom_. She was a smart girl but she didn't deserve to be labeled as a traitor to the crown. After all it wasn't her place to judge her superiors, just like her grandfather had taught her when she then started to demonstrate her true Sheikah techniques. Moving silently and expertly around the sewers she smiled to herself. She barely needed any help but never forgot of the older woman following her.

They were already near the exit, excitement running through their veins. Zelda was happy to see some light at the end of the dark tunnels she had been walking around. It was as if the Gods had heard her call for help and they came to her aid without questioning why. But her happiness was short lived. A few feet before her stood her eldest son, his own blade dripping in some sticky and dark liquid. His face showed amusement, at noticing his mother and even some unmistaken appreciation at her failed intent. He smiled when he saw the girl he had to pay to deliver his mother to him run to his side, her face quelling with guilty.

"Good job _Senia_, your grandfather must be screaming around in his tomb… Now mother, look what you made me do? I had to kill a High Council member for protecting a traitor to the throne." He said viciously, in his eyes a hint of his insanity being shown.

Zelda didn't spoke to the self-proclaimed King of Hyrule; she was still trying to dissolve the news of what her _son_ had done. Her son had lost his mind, she didn't know what to do, and her own people giving their back to her weren't helping much. _'But why? Markus... what had I done to you? It's not fair, if only... maybe if only I wasn't so worried for Link, none of this would have happened. Senia, I really thought you didn't hate me, but now I see how it is... I'm meant to be all alone.' _

Seemingly as if Senia had heard the thoughts of her Queen she opened her red eyes to stare at the deep blue oasis of Zelda's vulnerable expression. She felt mesmerized at how well she was taking it all in, but a change of heart occurred a little too late. Her King and true master had attacked, she was too slow. Last thing that was meant for them was to see blood, pouring from a shoulder wound. The deep grunting of the injured person was heard at last and continuing the sound a thumping of a body as it crashed against the floor.


	6. Chapter 05: Protected Part 2

**Hello and welcome! I finally got this chapter out so I hope you all enjoy! Comments and suggestions are always welcomed.**

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**The Timeless Shadow**

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"_Byrne's Law: In any electrical circuit, appliances and wiring will burn out to protect fuses."_ – Robert Byrne

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Chapter 05: Protected Part 2

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A deep voice was heard grunting, continuing the sound a body fell against the concrete. The self-proclaimed King grunted in pain, at the dragger that had found its way to his left shoulder was hauled deeper by a female hand.

Senia was agile, enough to attack him while at the same time blocking protectively against the blade of the prince Markus. He was surprised by her change of heart but even the shock didn't seem stop his amazement, it only made it stronger. Her grip on the dragger tightened and she began to push the blade deeper into his shoulder. Quickly and ignoring the pain on his left shoulder, Markus counter attacked, she moved against him, but was too slow. His blade had found itself on her dominant arm; with the hit she bit back a scream of pain and pushed him off her successfully, at the same time harming her arm even more.

"Who would have thought that you would betray your King?" He sneered at her his eyes clouded by hate, the blade still on his left shoulder.

"My loyalties stand next to my Queen, not you." She said resembling her grandfather back in his days. Her dark crimson eyes shone with pride at her actions.

"Guards you can all relax I will be taking care of this little misbehaved rat." Said Markus, he had turned his back to the Sheikah girl for a split second, pulling the dragger out and tossing it to the side; but that was all she needed.

The Sheikah didn't let her chance slip by. She had taken her time fully appreciated and plummeted another dragger, this time through the gut of the Prince, all that without a second thought. He on the other hand didn't really felt it since all the damage it did was to nibble at his skin. He could feel the fabric rubbing against the small cut and was slightly mad that a mere woman was capable of getting past his defenses and inflicting some light damage on him.

On the other hand taking advantage of the short distance between them, he decided to play as dirty as the female and punched her in the face. The punch he gave her made her move backwards and with it losing her hold on the dragger. Her hands moved up so that she could tend her now bloody nose. The hit was hard and dry but the female had noticed that the man was strong but not as fast or agile as she was, or so she thought. With that in mind she created more distance between them and thought of a new strategy that might work on him.

The prince quickly charged at her, his blade scarping against the stone floor slightly behind him. His speed wasn't a real match for Senia but it had caught her off guard. Still being slightly dizzy from her last hit she tried her best to hold a secure ground against the bulkier man. Him on the other hand not planning on using his sword picked a leg up and rammed it against the small torso of the blonde woman, there was a cracking sound.

She didn't get blasted off against the wall but a trail of blood started to appear from her mouth, her strong legs holding her ground and her hands holding tightly on the leg that had tried to push her away. He had indeed harmed her lungs or chest with the hit and he knew he had been successful, since she was out of breath trails of blood easily identifiable on her mouth and dominant arm. Still out of breath she looked behind a little, while still keeping her hold on the leg of the prince; her Queen was still slumped against the wall. Yet soon enough her eyes paused once more on the prince, she could still say she was lucky her grip on Markus' boots was strong or else she could have defiantly have lost this confrontation and be staring at his feet and not his face.

Not losing the fact that this was a fight for life and death, she gripped the boot harder and swung it around in a circle with all the strength she could muster. Unable to fight against her inhuman force, that had been a trade mark for the Sheikah for years, Markus found himself flying around the exit of the sewers. His body had ended up crashing against the body of knights, all of which were starting to grow afraid of the blonde woman; her strength being something to marvel in those conditions.

Ignoring the group of men trying to aid the prince and giving her back to them, she kneeled down next to her still knockout Queen. The old woman started to stir giving Senia the cue that she was coming back to the real world. A few seconds later she was pushing herself to be in a sitting position. Once she was fully seated with the help of Senia, Zelda began to open her deep blue eyes; she starred toward where her son was starting to get up while trying to control her weak body; the hands of the young Sheikah being there to steady her.

Zelda narrowed her eyes at his cursing which she could clearly understand that it was intended and directed towards the blonde attending her. She then noticed the blue vest of the female covered in crimson blood, especially where the connection to her right shoulder was. It was a slight shock to her see that it was her who had technically sold her out to her son, the one that was fighting for her. With that thought in mind, Zelda's eyes widened and soon after softened thinking of the pain that the young female must have been passing through.

"Why did you take the hit?" Zelda whispered, while at the same time not taking her eyes away from her blood thirsty son.

"I had to Zelda." Her answer was clear and simple but Zelda couldn't help but feel and detect another voice with hers, this echo being clearly from her old time best friend. "Don't worry about it, I'll be fine." The young female tried to smile only to stop at trying, she wasn't that comfortable with smiling.

"Sheik..." The Queen whispered once more, only this time she had her concentration over the shoulder of the young Sheikah.

The visible body of her best friend and guardian stood a few feet away from them. He was smiling at her but when his granddaughter looked behind her to see what had captured the Queen's attention it disappeared. The young woman turned herself back to Zelda, only to see her shaking her head from side to side as if she was trying to get an image out of her mind. _'I swear I felt a presence back there...'_ She was stopped abruptly from her thoughts when she turned over with a new dragger in her hand, her crimson eyes losing the kindness they had acquired not long ago.

With it she countered the hit from her Queen's first born but didn't waver to pair him up. He was sparing her with his full strength, and now with her in a kneeled position she could truly feel her aching shoulder. The indirect pressure from the dangerous man was enough to have her shoulder start bleeding once more. Her hold was starting to weaken but she ignored the pain and focused solely on her enemy. She knew her actions were starting to turn suicidal and the small distraction she had a few minutes ago had been surely not helpful to her in this battle.

"Come on! You were stronger than this a few minutes ago. Where did it all go?" The man started to taunt her a bit before proceeding to kick at her chest again.

Unlike the other intent this one had worked and had sent her flying against the brick wall; quickly getting up on her two feet ignoring the dust around her and faced once more her enemy. She had heard something crack once more in her body thanks to the impact but didn't really felt where. In reality she had lost any feeling of her body and was running on her last resorts. She shrugged the thought and sound and ran forward ignoring that something was truly going wrong inside of her.

"My Queen! Over here!" A brave pheasant boy that had followed the knights from a safe distance, stood on top of the small hill outside the sewers and before the bridge to the exit.

"Zelda go with him, I'll take care of things here!" Senia technically commanded her superior, the safety of her Queen being the first thing raging her mind.

Thinking it twice but finally being convinced, that it was the right thing to do, Zelda started to run. At first she was blocked by the knights but this time she truly wasn't afraid of using her powers. Blasting a small energy orb to the floor she created enough dust so that she could sneak past them unnoticed. Running as quickly as her worn down legs could carry her, she thought about stopping to help her young ally. Remembering that Senia was a strong woman, she quickly erased those thoughts from her mind and tried her best to not look over her shoulder with every step that she took.

"My Queen, here let us go before they get to us." The young pheasant said while helping her mount in the small carriage he had.

Looking for the first time across the bridge she had to pass Zelda screamed to the young female. "Senia!"

The young blonde looked over to where now Zelda stood. All she had to do to truly be safe was cross the bridge and finally be free from her cursed relationship with the crown. She seemed to ponder it a bit more what would be right for her to do. Her decision was simple and she didn't plan on going back, she gave them her back, saluting them off just so they could get started to leave without her.

Not going back on her decision, Senia fought the group of knights that were ordered not to let them escape. She kicked and punched, trying her best to keep them all from going after the small carriage with the Queen of Hyrule. She kept knocking out cold anyone who stood in her way, some of the mend dying by her hands. Her small knifes in the form of draggers had claimed the life of many of those highly trained knights, with it showing off the true strength of a Sheikah. Anything she did right at this moment was in her haste to stop their progress towards the fleeing Queen.

In a last attempt knowing that she had barely any more strength or will left to keep on fighting, she backed away to the beginning of the stone bridge with it blocking the route that led to the Queen. She looked over to the wall opposite to her and started at the light blue eyes of the Prince of Hyrule. His face was bloody and all red from the beating she had given him, when Zelda had done her orb blast and he found himself disoriented. She smiled at her handy work, it wasn't her best work but she was proud of it.

Knowing this was the end of the road for her, she faced the bridge one last time. Pilling all of her concentration on her last remaining energy, she put all of her power in her fist. Once the fist had started to glow a light red nearing orange, was when she broke into a run. Some knights followed her not understanding the damage she would do to the kingdom if she did what she was about to do. Not stopping for anything or anyone she came to the middle of the bridge punched the floor, in an instant creating some deep cracks that harmed the bridge permanently.

A few seconds after the impact, the bridge broke in pieces successfully. She was aware of her falling body, she was aware of Zelda's scream of agony, she was aware of some knights that had fallen with her, she was aware of the bottomless like pit she found herself diving in for. In fact she was aware of everything around her except the pain her body was passing through. It was definitely clear for her; the body she occupied was using its hormones to make her death less painful. All that got to the point in which she didn't felt anything at all.

'_So this is how it feels? Grandpa' I hope you are truly happy for me.'_ Those were her final thoughts, before her body crashed against the floor. The impact being noticeable on her bones, showing that she had broken what was left in her body, causing an immediate death.

* * *

A hooded person moved around the busy city, many people ignoring it. It was a common sight, many people coming from the desert wearing vest similar to that person. The person smiled lightly as no one recognized him, this was something good. The people ignored him as they had no idea of his real identity. It was that the reason that the male figure got the opportunity to move around town with ease, knowing most of the shortcuts the town had.

It was like that for a few minutes, him walking to his destination without having anyone to bother him. It was then that once the figure got to one of the most solitary parts of the city that its pace slowed down. Instead of being surrounded by people the male figure was mostly alone, a curious cat following him from time to time, and a sole encounter with a random individual that lived in this part of town. But most of the people that lived in the area were accustomed to him, his strong husky scent being identifiable from afar.

Many hid in their houses, while others stared at him from the distance, some of the people in this lonely alley knew who he was. Relaxing more as he entered further into the housing area he quickly turned left, there a bar with a sign made of old wood indicated him where he was. He smiled and moved the door closer to the door and pulled out a bronze key, he inserted the key into the hole and twisted it, and a sound that appeared with the movement indicated him that the door was successfully opened. Twisting the door knob and retiring the key the hooded man entered the bar. It was closed at this hour, moving swiftly he closed the door making sure to lock it in the process.

Once fully secured the man decided to pull his hood down and a spiky mass of white blonde hair appeared adorning his head. On his face his bright blue eyes being his main attraction with those eyes he tended to capture the attention of the people that surrounded him. Ignoring his surroundings he walked further into the bar, it was clean at this hour. The blood, the spilled beer and the smell of cigars surrounding him in the air but no visible stain or mark visible, moving deeper and deeper he got to a door that led to the second floor. Looking from side to side he opened the door and began to move up the stairs, once he was at the top of the stairs he found a second door, this one he also opened and entered into a living room.

He had finally entered his destination, and it was quiet till small feet could be heard thumping on the floor. "Papa!" A small child around the age of six with bright blonde hair and dark blue eyes yelled as she ran towards her father hugging his legs as her body crashed against him.

"Hey little Rin," the blonde man said as he kneeled down to the child's height and hugged the young child,

"Kain, you came?" A woman's voice said as she came from the kitchen, only to smile at the beautiful site father and daughter made.

"Come on Ellie! Can't you believe when I say I'll come?" He said as he let go of his child, walking over to the woman his, his arms extended as he acted as cockily as he always did.

"Oh, I don't need you to tell me when you'll come." She answered him as she winked at him, tilting her head up slightly and moving to her toes she planted a small kiss on his lips. "But thanks for not forgetting us." She whispered to him, yet as he was about to lean down to kiss her lips once more a voice was heard yelling in the street.

"Ellie!" A male voice yelled, "come quick!" He continued as the man appeared to get closer to the house the third in line to the throne stood at the moment.

The woman whose dark blonde hair was starting to whiten stared at the man in front of her, her dark blue eyes eying his movement. But as she saw no real reaction from him she said to him, "excuse me" and walked down stairs to meet the man that was calling her name. Yet being the man Kain was he signaled to his daughter to stay upstairs as he moved down behind Ellie to see what was up.

Once he was down stairs he found Ellie at the door whispering to the man, her face being something that expressed deep worry. Growing more curious as he saw her face he moved closer till he was right behind her. But something went wrong, as the man that was talking to Ellie saw him his eyes grew like saucers. The word traitor escaped his mouth as his body indicated that he was about to run away from them. Yet from the many years of experience Kain moved quicker than the man and held its arm as he pulled the man inside the bar. Crashing the man's body against a wall next to the door as his free hand held the man's mouth closed.

"Close the door." Kain ordered and Ellie obeyed in the commotion deciding not to interfere. "Now listen and listen well." He whispered to the man murderously as he continued speaking. "Don't you dare call my woman a traitor once more, alright?" The man nodded quickly and Kain released him as he moved around a few tables creating distance from the man. But as he heard movement he raised his tone of voice and said, "and I'm not finished."

"Kain, stop, don't begin a fight now." Ellie said as she tried to intervene between the two men.

Yet ignoring what she said Kain asked, "what's his position?"

"He's a scout." Ellie simply answered, her tone of voice serious and nearly no emotion being easily traced.

"What the hell Ellie! You shouldn't tell our enemy that information! You're the leader, you should protect us!" The man yelled as he got mad at the woman.

"Don't you dare yell at her!" Kain nearly screamed back at the man as he got madder at the situation at hand. "And for your information, I'm not the enemy."

"What? Is that true?"

"Yes, he's not the enemy and I'm not the main leader of the Rebellion, I'm just his representative." Ellie answered the man's question as she touched the man's shoulder that simple gesture to simply calm down the man.

"And now you bow down to me." Kain joked as he moved closer to the man, yet as he saw that the man was about to bow down Kain spoke once more. "Hey man stop, I was simply joking."

"Oh, sorry my lord," the man said with his head bowed down.

"Look, I'm not one to say sorry but I guess I want to know what was found under the bridge to the east." Kain said as he found himself not wanting to forgive the man.

"Umm…" The mad began but paused as he stared at the blonde woman.

"Keep going, he doesn't bite." She said as she glared at the prince.

"That much." Kain murmured playfully, with his words receiving a deeper glare.

"Umm, well we found a woman and a bunch of knights, the bridge was broken."

"What?" That made the prince alerted, the situation appearing to be going out of hand. "Have you identified the knights?"

"Yes, none of them are from our legions."

"And the woman?"

"We don't know who she was, but she was alive, we got her to the doctor and he said something about a Sheikah."

"Senia?" Kain whispered the name of the only Sheikah he knew of.

"You know her?" Ellie asked him with a hint of jealousy on her voice.

"I'll explain later, come on Scout! Show me where she is." Kain said as he pushed the man outside the bar, his hood already on top of his head. "Oh, and tell Rin that I love her." Kain said as he left Ellie alone in the bar, her expression dropping as she saw him take his leave.

* * *

A group in the dark night of the mountains was keeping each other company while enjoying the warmth from the camp fire. All of the ones surrounding the fire were men under the command of Lilia's father. They were mumbling words to each other so that they wouldn't wake the few that were sleeping peacefully. Some kept a lookout for any monsters that dared come to them, while others shared memories of their family.

A small group of four were conversing quietly, their stop not so far away from the sleeping group. Three from the present ones were conscious and speaking to each other, while hugging tightly some wool blankets around their body. Yet one of them was unconscious and not noticing the cold air since it was warped tightly in blankets while sleeping in the lap of the foreign one in the group that dressed in green.

"So yea, you see she was this big and facing against a huge and raging bull. That woman is scary!" The raven haired one spoke, gaining laughs from the other two males.

"Don't talk like that about my wife." The green eyed man told the one with the midnight hair.

"Heh, can't help it, she's my sister so this is just family love." The young one said winking at his sister husband and then laughing at the expression from the slightly bald man.

"Hey Link." The small green eyes from Lilia's father fell upon him, immediately ending the friendly conversation that was going on.

"Yes?" Link asked, his questioning look falling upon the father of the girl sleeping in his lap.

"How did you found her?" Asked her father, curious as to why the man in green had been so taken with Lilia.

"Well, I was hunting in the upper grounds near your village. And I saw her and a group of men near the cliff, so I moved closer and investigated. She was scared and moving closer to the edge of the cliff, it was then that I tried to save her but she backed away and fell. I jumped after her and lucky both of us fell on the small lake that led to the cave. That was when I got to her and pulled her out with the help of a few zoras." The blonde man spoke watching his words carefully feeling slightly uncomfortable about telling the story.

"And when she woke up, what happened?" Her father kept on, pressing the conversation knowing Link was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"Umm," The blue eyed man pondered on what was right to tell. "She froze." He finished, saying it slightly faster than expected.

"My, my... that daughter of mine is such a coward." The big man said, tears falling from his closed eyes.

Link staring at the now sobbing man felt lost in a world full of wonders. His sharp sight fell on the movement from the man that had kept them company throughout the night. That man with midnight black hair was running over to a group of men sitting around the fire. He never looked towards were he had been sitting at just a few minutes before, his hazel eyes staring intently at the fire, while ignoring the loud sobs coming from the governor of their land. Most of the surrounding men seemed to follow his example and all went eerily quiet. The abnormal silence kept being broken by the loud sobs of the man.

In the small group the sobs were louder and ever so evident. The loud cries didn't seem to cease, but were enough to make the girl slightly stir in her sleep but she seemed to sleep like a rock. Link on the other hand at feeling her stir he jumped lightly, unconsciously hitting her in the head with his knee. He tried his best not to grunt or curse in case that minimal action gained the interest from the wailing man.

She on the other hand simply swatted her hand to his face and giggled at hearing the soft impact. Now he knew she was truly awake and not faking it like before. Her father's cries kept ringing loudly in their ears but she didn't seem to mind them that much. Link grinned slightly at her for being caught and from the pain of the loud cries in his ears. Lilia on the other hand was getting slightly annoyed at the big crybaby of a father she had.

"Can you stop crying? It's annoying." She finally spoke, her tone appearing to be slightly teasing and not mad.

He stopped crying abruptly and looked over to her as if she had lost her mind for sure. She had never given him a friendly tone and much less a teasing tone. All he had gotten from her since she was a baby was the cold shoulder as always, and ever since he had gotten another woman she grew even worse. Not that his wife was a saint but that woman grew irritable and his daughter having her mother's character was slightly difficult to work with.

"Are you teasing me?" He asked surprised but taking his time to clean his face from all the crying.

"I can't? Wow, now that is disgusting." She sneered when she saw him clean his face with a small towel; with this act she was showing once more her teenager nature.

A conversation had grown between both of them but during that entire time Link was distracted. He was wondering how she could change her own character so much. He knew of moments in her life that affected her character but to act friendly to her father after being rude to him was past his knowledge. He wasn't sure what was going around in her head but he was smiling lightly. He couldn't help but think that maybe his good ways had rubbed on her and she had grown friendlier. He could even tell that she must have matured slightly since she was becoming calmer and something inside her must have changed for the better.

Looking away towards the men he saw them warm up to the daughter and father relationship. It had been the first time they had seen it, since both of them were usually on each other throats. She was hostile to him for some unknown reasons and him to her for not being able to protect his daughter like he wished to. It was a good sign but also a sad one for the ones that knew what was to happen next.

"Hey, Link... sorry for insulting you and barging in to your territory, like we did." The father of Lilia apologized. "I'm going to take my sleep before we go, and please take care of my little Lily." He bid his goodbyes and left his daughter alone with the Hylian boy.

"Link, sorry for earlier." She mumbled softly barely audible but hence the distance, he had heard it clearly.

"About what?" He was confused about why would she apologized to him, knowing that she didn't do anything wrong. "Is anything wrong Lily?" He asked this time slightly worried for the girl and her strange conduct, yet seeing her like that made him feel that his stomach was going crazy. _'Just like with Zelda…'_

"Umm, no, no everything is f-fine. No noting wrong here." She tried her best but failed miserably since she simply caught his blue orbs.

"Are you sure? Is there something you aren't telling me?" He asked, this time reaching to hold the girl shoulders lightly, her reaction to him creating more flips in his belly.

Yet at feeling the close touch and worry of the man Lilia began to blush, with that he backed off a bit. _'Is she having a fever?'_ He thought softly and reached to check her temperature. _'No, she's normal... I guess she won't tell me now.' _He sighed inwardly but grinned in pain when he heard her father's voice scream: "Everyone off to bed or I'll plant you in the middle of the forest!"

Lilia laughed, forgetting her nerving and blushing state she was in. Smiling lightly at Link she took his hands from her shoulders and started to pull him over to the mansion. He on the other hand grew confused once more seeing that she wasn't planning on going to say good bye to her father. She pulled him harder and started running, him having to follow thanks to her hold on his hand. The running away never stopped but Link saw some water like crystals falling behind her. After all this time she wasn't prepared to say goodbye to her father for the last time.

Away from those two and with the green eyed human, he never looked behind. Walking around making sure his men were sleeping and giving in the last touches to the trip in which they were about to embark once more. This time being his last time to see or feel close to his only daughter, his wife was right about her destiny and seemed too stuck out as arrogant due to her attitude but she was the only one accepting the truth.

"Governor." The raven headed friend of the father of the teenager spoke from his sleeping spot on the floor. "She'll be alright, if the Gods had chosen her it's because she must be capable of breaking the curse." The younger male told him.

"I know, but she better hurry and breaks it before another age of darkness begins." Lilia's father said, facing sadly the younger man.

"Is it because of Prince Markus?" The younger one asked while sitting up to see his leader better.

"Yes, he is already on the move and that is why I must leave my daughter to her mission. The Queen will need him once more and we cannot interrupt on what destiny has called them for."

"Won't you pay her a visit once all this has ended?" He asked curious as to what his friend was planning on doing. "I mean she is your daughter after all."

"No, this place will be forbidden from now on. She will end up dying here unless she becomes immortal like her mother." The chubby man said, thinking about his past love. "Reason for why she was so beautiful, it runs in her family. Lilia will probably start becoming immortal sooner or later. "

"Lilia's mother was immortal?" Asked the younger male surprised by this discovery.

"But of course, I wouldn't fall for normal woman. Think of your sister she can carry me around."

The man finished proudly, his eyes shining with respect towards his taste in women. "Go rest, we will be making our move to help the Queen after today. We'll make sure that she's not _alone_ in this."


	7. Chapter 06: Falling in Training

**Hello and welcome once more, thank you Azarin for your review and for being that faithful reader (we should have a relationship), but aside from that thank you all for reading and enjoy.**

* * *

**The Timeless Shadow**

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"_A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage." Hero's Shade_

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Chapter 06: Falling in Training

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A few hours after the small encounter with Lilia's father, a sudden need had awoken. It was an unknown force for Lilia's that came with new trainings sessions. The young looking boy that seemed to keep an eye out for her safety appeared to be fully amused by her actions. He had never seen her move much during the time he had been near her but this was truly getting out of the ordinary.

She was still doing her normal routines but instead of walking like she normally did, she was jogging lightly. This was all meant so that she could capture her food of the day but it usually ran away once she got close enough, she was still too slow and noisy. Yet she didn't give up on trying capturing a small rabbit; however it became slightly humorous as she fell while she lost her balance in the deep snow, thus scaring the rabbit to run away from good and away from the young Lilia.

Link on the other hand tried his best to hide his laugh but failed miserably in holding it back. He doubled over lightly but continued laughing, never less. The girl, however, narrowed her emerald eyes as she noticed that she was the laughing stock of the brave man observing her. She kept trying her best to ignore his loud and seemingly happy laugh, but it continued ringing in her ears, it annoyed her to no end. She pushed her self to ignore it a bit more and started to run just a bit father away from his position.

Once the brave warrior was done laughing, he decided to go down the hill and to the spot in which she stood panting, her small jog didn't last long enough. Once she noticed him going down over to where she was, she tried to continue. She didn't want for him to get so close to her expecting him to poke some more fun out of her. However, she didn't last long enough running before she fell once more, this time she too tired to continue to even try to get up. Her pants became wet and she rolled over to stare at the blue sky but instead of the sky she found herself staring at a deeper blue that belonged to the man she had grown a nice friendship with.

"Here?" He said extending his hand to help her up.

She took it without uttering a single word of thanks and sat up breathing deeply so that she could recover her breath. He didn't fall behind and joined her by sitting beside her still holding her hand, thinking that probably she would fall on her back if he let go of it. His eyes never left her face which was starting to get slightly pink. He passed it off thinking that it was probably her running that had gotten her cheek turn that color but somehow deep inside he really wasn't hoping that was the real reason for that blush.

"Why did you lie to me?" She whispered to the air, turning the once peaceful air to dark and tense.

"What do you mean?" He asked wishing that he had heard her wrong.

"My father told me that mom had a diary, which had written of how to release the curse. I didn't found it in my room." She said out loud staring at their entangled hands she being slightly confused on where they stood.

"I'm sorry." He said releasing her hand that felt cold the instant it left hers.

He didn't know what had gotten to him but he felt as if he had to run and so he tried. He started to running up the hill but was stopped roughly by her soft hand, she had followed him; and with a strange force he knew she had but was hidden by her fear. She tugged on his arm lightly, but that was all that was needed for Link to lose his balance, hers following close behind him. He started to fall and she went down with him, his body falling on top of hers and both of them rolling down the hill for a few seconds before they stopped moving at all.

"Are you okay?" He asked her breathing heavily thinking that he might have hurt her by falling on top of her.

She couldn't let out words and it wasn't due to him taking the breath out of her, literary. No, it was because of her nerves, she had never been this close to someone, and yes she had been close to him but never in this way, this felt more intimate. Having a man on top of her, in between her legs, was something new, something that brought a strange feeling to her. Yet thinking of the question he had done all she could do to answer him was nod shyly and blush when he didn't move from his position on top of her. He, however, knew that this was wrong but it felt ten times more right than anything in his life.

He looked straight at her staring at her short brown hair that had fell behind her acting as cushion for her head. He didn't stopped there, he had to stare at her small round face looking up at him, the blush deepening and working as a great contrast against the pale skin of Lilia. Her huge emerald green eyes stared up at him and he couldn't help but feel lost in the forest she had for eyes. He felt comfortable with her and he felt something that he hadn't felt all the years he had spent awaken, he had felt something similar with Zelda but this time it felt stronger.

He knew he had developed feeling for her but knew that she was still too young and most likely naïve. From her actions and reactions he knew she felt something, but was it true? He wondered if it was true, he wondered if those three words she had told him when scared were real and he wanted to find out. He wanted to and he knew that this was no real science so why was he thinking it so much? And he did what his heart and insides told him to do, he did what he had done to Zelda when young, but he didn't regret it.

His lips had found his way to her rosy ones, it felt like heaven. He moved his hands to her face so that he could grasp it and deepen the kiss. However he stopped abruptly, he was in shock at his actions. Not only did he take her lips as his own, he had done it without asking her. He withdrew and ran once more, scared that she might hate him for what he had done. He kept running till he disappeared inside the huge house, wishing that it hadn't occurred that way.

'_What did I do?'_ He thought once he had stopped his sprint. _'This is wrong, if she does have feeling she will suffer. I might leave her like I left Malon and __**Zelda**__... no this is not right for her, she deservers more.' _And he ran once more, this time in search of the book that will determinate the end.

Out side the mansion and still in the same spot on the floor, Lilia rested. She kept staring off in to the heavens thinking of what had just happened and confused by why she let him go and why she didn't kicked him off. She had liked it and even felt some tingling in her stomach. But then she remembered the words that she had said before he did such a thing. She wasn't as dumb as some people would perceive her and thought back to her literary readings when she used to study the human mentality with the help of her step mother.

She had learned a lot back then and she knew how well the brain worked, being it animal or human. But what she had just experience didn't felt like anything written in those books. She knew it wasn't normal, same as back then during her father's visit those words she had said to him in pure fear. She didn't know where it all came, but she knew that probably this was one of those lessons that her step mother told her to grow up.

Lilia stared back towards the place in which now he was at the moment and then towards a small group of sticks resting on the floor near her feet. Closing those thoughts out of her mind and for one last time she touched her lips, remembering the warmth of his on hers. But she stopped herself before getting once more too deep in the simple problem. She simply moved forward and captured in her hands one of the strongest sticks in the group and started to swing it fast and steady. She was scared of what might come from her but she had to face it and for it, she had to train.

* * *

"My Queen, we have arrived." The young pheasant boy that had helped her said.

"Wow, the new Kakariko sure has changed a lot." The voice of Zelda rang from behind the young boy.

"Really? I've never been here." Said the boy exited about this place.

They entered the area past the now desert like town and stared around at the people looking curious. It wasn't every day that the Queen of the land would enter the town in an old and beaten carriage. That small feat had called the attention of the people and instantly they surrounded the carriage and helped the Queen to her feet. Once she stood proudly with the people that loved her and admired her deeply she looked over to a group that started to make space for someone to pass.

"My Queen, what graces us with your presence?" The shaman of the new Kakariko spoke to her.

"It's great to see that you are still alive but I will prefer to speak to you in private." Zelda said in a friendly tone, smiling lightly at the man she had met when they moved the town over to this place.

"Of course." He also smiled back but frowned afterwards thinking of her reason.

However his trail of thoughts had to be stopped abruptly when the aged Queen fell unconscious before his eyes. Luckily some of the villagers close enough reacted fast and didn't let her body fall on the floor. Everyone gasped at the turn of events and surrounded her in worry. The shaman on the other hand wasn't as worried as he should be and worked his slightly aged body trough the thickening crowd.

Once he got to her he noticed that she appeared to be dreaming and commanded the men holding her, to take her to his home. He stayed back calming the people for a few minutes before leaving towards the small spring at the side of his home. He had heard of what happened to the Queen to make her faint that way and wasn't as worried as the people was. He stayed calm and composed till curiosity started to strike at him.

Sensing a presence behind him made him look back and smiling once he noticed the young boy that had brought the Queen in to Kakariko. He knew that the young boy was worried for her health and seemed determinate in staying around till he knew that she was all right. However, the shaman didn't appear to react much to his insistence and kept filling a small bucket with the water of the spring.

"Will she be ok?" The boy finally got the courage to ask.

"Yes, she will." He said strongly. "Would you mid giving her some of this water once she wakes up?" The shaman continued handing the boy the bucket of water he had just filled.

* * *

"I can't believe this is all happening." Zelda's middle son said.

He kept reading the rumors that had spread all around Hyrule and tried his best to fix some numbers in the economics reading. He knew his brother was doing a pessimistic job at being _'king'_ and knew that something had to be done. However, unlike Markus he tried to do things by the law and was not one to go against his kin, no matter how much he wanted him dead. Yet as he kept reading and fixing a few numbers up he felt a presence behind him, his brows joined together as the felt a sad energy from the individual that stood behind him.

"Dear, you should rest. You've been dealing with this for months." His wife said placing a cup of tea on the table, her voice sad and somber.

"I can't, I will never let my guard down with what happened to dad and mom." He said pressing the cup to his lips, his eyes never once leaving the papers, yet his mind stopping processing anything that had to do with the economy. His wife had become his priority.

"But I'm worried for your health." She murmured in his ear, hugging him from behind making her light brown her fall on his shoulders. She had been crying recently as he felt a wet cheek touch his.

"I'm more worried about you and the twins." Nick answered back to a silent question that had followed after her confession; he knew his male child was born weak.

"No," She said softly some tears starting to stain his back. "No more twins." She whispered as she began to cry to his neck, with her being behind him, making it difficult for him to caress her. Yet he didn't speak, his hand simply touched his woman's head in an effort to calm her down, however she continued speaking through her cries. "Mattew died, all we got left is little Zelda." This time she cried harder on to his shoulder holding him tightly, as if afraid that he would also leave like her son did.

Nick was in shock, he didn't know what to do. He loved his newborn kids dearly and now he had lost one. He tried digesting the information he had just received from his wife and tightened his grip on the cup of glass. Experience had told him that it was just a matter of time before Markus would move against his family and with that in mind he needed to find a way to stop him before he discovers his baby girl. This time he knew he would have to react before everything fell down to chaos; the chaos that only his older brother knew how to bring forth.

"Sweetie I'm here for you, I'll find a way to get you and little Zelda to safety." He whispered to his wife those consoling words before gaining a malevolent look in his eyes; he had to stop it before this plague devours his entire family.

'_I'll get you for this Markus; I will not let you keep harming those close to me... mother I'll save you somehow.'_ He thought angry at the turn of events.

* * *

In the training grounds of the palace stood Markus, his face was still hurt from his fight the earlier day but that didn't stop him from missing out on training. He had started to hate that servant for being so attentive to his mother but he fixed that by making false promises. He always did anything to get what he wanted and he was close but failed miserably when the Sheikah blood in her had awoken for real. He knew the dangers in which he had thrown himself to but was now glad that she was the last one to stand in his way. He was confident that with her gone no one else would dare to stand in his way.

"Guards! File up." He commanded at the top of his lungs already mad that his efforts for killing his mother and conquering more land had failed. "All of you here have been called up for doing a miserable job! You couldn't even kill a single person yesterday and what makes it worst is that the two targeted persons were women!"

He walked around the men, inspecting them for any rebellious behavior, but saw none. He pulled out his blade and pointed it at one of the men that had helped him on the last mission. He glared at him and continued his march around the men, his eyesight never leaving his. The man tried to hold his gaze but couldn't match to his wit and looked to the floor after a few minutes of doing so. He had lost all his courage and felt disgraced that he had to be a knight for a king that fell so low.

"You! I want you to become the commander and take all this pitiful excuse for knights out on a mission to capture my mother." He yelled, his screams directed to the man he had been staring down earlier.

"Yes my lord!" The man screamed at the top of his lungs, trying his best to hide the fear in his voice and body.

"Good, I don't want you back unless you have my mother in your grasp. You understood?" He said lowly and maliciously one last time and felt proud that they listened to his command without even trying to question him, every man leaving the training grounds to do their mission.

Pulling his sword up, Markus started to swing it around with some vicious and powerful trusts. He kept doing it even after knowing that he was being watched by someone with eyes similar to his, but he didn't stop till he grew annoyed with the person watching all his movements and threw down his blade, barely missing his feet. However, he didn't end his tantrum there; he also picked up a bow and pointed it blindly towards where he knew that the person stood, with a smug look on its face.

The arrow flew fast and came in contact with a stone wall barely missing the spiky blonde hair of the person. The face of the person didn't even changed at the impact being so close to its face but the smug look on it grew. He picked up the half broken arrow and twisted it around in its hand, his eyes finally leaving the familiar face that had tried to kill him. He laughed silently to himself before trusting the arrow forward. Unlike the older blonde in the area his arrow graced the cheek of Markus leaving a small trail of blood on it.

"That's a better look for you brother." He told him staring at the scar in his other cheek. "Yeah, now it looks more balanced." He continued laughing at his comment.

"Urrg, what do you want Kain?" Markus asked annoyed at his youngest brother for being a show off.

"Noting really, I was just curious as to why you would be going around training and commanding my men." The younger blonde said in a carefree voice.

"You of all people know why, now leave me alone." Markus answered in a grumpy voice.

"Oh well, do whatever you please _king_. I was really in the mood to tell you some news but I guess you could care less to what happens to Hyrule while you're in your killing spree." He said mocking him completely.

Kain started to walk away slowly, making sure that his brother would be capable of processing his words. But he in reality didn't care; he knew the truth of both his brothers and wanted to play a bit between those two. He knew it would have been an interesting fleet to tell of now third in line to the throne, the famous baby Zelda that was in the castle but thought against it knowing that it would end up in a massacre. He was a sadist in real life but he loved and admired both his brothers and it wasn't his place to help them destroy each other.

"Wait!" Kain stopped halfway at his brother's call but didn't turn over to see his face. "What do you mean of news?"

"Oh? I thought you weren't interested. But seeing that I'm a great brother I will tell you. You should thank Nick for clearing what you had done wrong in the economic numbers and should give him some love since his baby boy died. Oh, but I wonder how?" He told him half sincerely and half cynically. "Oh, and call for me once you decide to give me my army back, you know where I'll be."

Markus stared at his youngest brother as if the man had lost his mind. He knew that Nick would end up fixing his problems with the economy but something strange stood out with the story Kain had told him. _'His baby boy died?'_ Markus thought as he remembered that Kain had only told him that Nick had a baby girl. With that thought in mind he smirked, Kain being slightly intoxicated and not thinking well what he had just said. "You're drunk." Markus muttered to himself, insulting the brother that seemed to never age.

He observed the retreating back of his younger brother and smiled. He was glad that with him there could be a relation of sincerity, unlike his relation with his other brother Nick. Kain was free minded but a great fighter while Nick was as strict as if he had a stick stuck up his personal space. However he didn't mind the youngest of the three because Kain had shown that he didn't have any interest in the crown, but Nick was a force to be reckoned since he was trained by his father and a knight named Yael just in case he had to take over the crown. But that wasn't the only thing that he could envy from his younger brother, that man had learned the ability to balance everything. All that caused a great spite in the oldest of the royal family.

* * *

Zelda wasn't alone during the setting sun. She was with the company of the animals and a few fellow foxes that had kept her company while she was training. She didn't want to fight but after this vision she had felt obliged her to train that is if she wanted to live more. She was slightly tired and sleepy but didn't shifted at the scenery she had been capable of capturing. She knew it would be a few more weeks before any troop from the castle could get to her. However, she was prepared for them.

She stood up silently still regarding the vision and thinking of that frightful day in which dusk will finally set. This small event happening in her family was the start of the era of darkness, a strange and consuming darkness that will end up filling the entire land of Hyrule. She knew all that thanks to the book of prophesies that was held by the royal family but she didn't know if she was prepared to see the beginning of it. The first happening that was predicted and that she would have to suffer from it was the battle for the crown.

'_If only Link or my husband were here... I know I could be capable of fighting it all.'_ She thought her eyes trailing to the small patch of water that rested under her feet. _'I know I'm not alone in this, maybe my kids will start thinking about me as a family... no... That is only a dream in my head.'_ She kept thinking to herself a small tear being shed by the thoughts of those she had lost long before this all started to occur.

Once the sun had finally set she turned over only to smile lightly at the man that was standing a few feet behind her all this time. She tried to whip her tears fast but he had captured her hands in his own and started to whip them off on his own accord. However, every tear that he cleaned off was replaced by one immediately. His face turned down on a frown and he looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to speak up or stop tearing up.

"My Queen... we've known each other for years, but you should not let this be your downfall." The shaman said strongly to her.

"But-" She tried to protest.

"No, stop it before you begin to make yourself sound stupid. The people love you and admire you for your courage and wisdom; they will do anything to help you... even if it comes at the risk of loosing their life."

"But, why? Why would they risk so much? I am already old; I barely have anymore left to live." She said a small spite due to her irreversible sickness.

"Sometimes, things are better left unanswered." He said wisely at her. "Coming in?" He asked her as if none of those words were spoken. "We made your favorite." He said trying to convince her but the last part being said sardonically.

She laughed at his change in attitude and rejected his offer for the time being. She was happy with having such great friends that even after age had claimed them; they would still maintain the characteristic they had since young. She was happy at that moment but it all went down when she saw the entrance and remembered her vision. The happy smile she had disappearing at that instant and being replaced with a frown.

"Zelda!" He called her once more, his place being at the front of his door. "Don't kill yourself at training, or else we wouldn't have something to die for at this moment." He told her slightly darkly but his weird way to humor being present.

'_I should concentrate... this might be my last fight. No... I'm sure it will be but I have to protect these people for the burden they will carry.' _She said determinately, as she started to summon her powers concentrating in using it to controlling the air around her.


	8. Chapter 07: Evade

**Hello and welcome, this took a while to get out but now here it is. Enjoy!**

* * *

**The Timeless Shadow**

* * *

"_The real question is: How do you react? What do you do next? Evade responsibilities? Bury yourself in work? What do you do? All three of my novels take up that question, although none gives an answer."_ – David Guterson

* * *

Chapter 07: Evade

* * *

A woman with long white hair moved gracefully around the crowded village. She smiled in the direction of the people who stopped working just to greet her with kind words. As some of the people in the village were walking around doing their normal routine they stopped and bowed in respect of the Queen. Thought the way they treated her was far more special than normal they allowed her to be one of them and to live free without the need of much protection.

As the Queen moved farther into a more deserted part of the Village, she encountered an old time friend that had been kind enough to allow her stay. She smiled at him and greeted him silently as she studied his aging complexion. His robe hadn't changed much throughout the years; it was kept simple so that he wouldn't forget where he had come from and most importantly his traditions. His dark onyx eyes shone with admiration as he saw that a few years had been taken away from her features.

"You seem to be enjoying it here." The man said the smile never leaving his face and his kind eyes never changing.

"Yea... I had really forgotten the peace one gets here." She answered his hidden question, her eyes wandering away thinking of her early years with her kids.

"Don't worry Zelda. Lately life hadn't been treating anyone as it should." He said sadly thinking about the death of his wife, it reflected vividly in his eyes but soon he covered his emotions once more. "I remember when you used to bring your kids."

A silent tear slid anonymously from the corner of Zelda's blue eyes. She felt hurt thinking about them and how happy she used to be when they were young. But as her kids grew they started to grow more restless and crueler by the day. She had gotten to the point that she cried every night, till the day that one of them recognized her pain once he had fallen in love. That lone boy who she felt like he was her only child had gone back from being a teen to being a kid and went back to his mother comfort.

"_Mother..."_ He sniffed. _"Why?" _He couldn't hold his heartbreak anymore and collapsed on his mother, using her as his only support.

That small memory kept haunting Zelda to this day and she wondered how that son was surviving. She closed her eyes once more and tried to erase those memories, the memories of a time in which she used to feel like a real mother. As she looked away from her friend and opened her eyes to see the entrance to the rocky area that she had visited in the past. She thought suddenly that maybe there was something she could use over there. Without telling her friend to where she was heading she started to walk out in the direction, her eyes being filled with determination.

"And where do you think you are going?" Her friend asked her, not moving from the place in which he stood.

"To visit some old friends." She told him a smile creeping up her face as she thought of the adventures she used to have with the Gorons and her old time lover.

* * *

As a few sun rays decided to peek upon the rustic decorated room, a resting young female started to stir. She was tired from yesterday since she had used most of her energies on trying to capture that small rabbit. She covered her face with the lining of her covers and turned her face away from the light that was currently glaring at it. She fell on a slight slumber that only lasted a few minutes as she heard the opening of a door and it closing fast once it heard her struggle under the sheets.

Lilia pushed the covers of her face and did a stinky face once she was hit fully by the hot rays of the sun. She sat on the bed a few more minutes not fully aware of anything around her but trying to open her eyes without having them closing fast. Her glare was fully noticeable when she opened her eyes so that she could watch her surroundings. As she found noting with one quick check, she thoughtfully pulled the covers off the rest of her body and stood up slightly lazily.

The way her body was wavering after she stood up firmly on her two small feet, seemed as if her body would give out at any second. However, what was expected didn't occur and she proceeded to walk around towards the only mirror in the room. Once she stood in front of it she rubbed her eyes to shake off the drowsiness out of her face. As she opened her emerald green eyes to see at her reflection, those big eyes widened even more, something comparable to saucers.

Her head twisted to see what was standing behind her trying to get to her but it disappeared as soon as it appeared. She closed her eyes trying to calm her raging heart rate, once she was stable she relaxed and glared at her reflection. Her short brown hair that was hanging slightly under her shoulders had a mind of her own. She tried to place it down with her hands but it went back to its original position. She shook her head to see if the mess went down and it didn't, all it did was cover her face more and block her sight for a few.

Already growing tired of fighting with the mess she had for a hair she pulled a bandana from her mother's items and put it on her hair. That seemed to have done the trick since it went down and she smiled proudly as it stayed that way. She walked around the room a bit more to see if she could find something more fit to move around instead of the dresses her mom had. She yelled _bingo_ once she had found a pair of worn out pants and a shirt that had a few slashes around.

As she put the clothes on she noticed a dot resting on the hem of the shirt. Lilia pulled it up so that she could see it upon closer inspection and gasped lightly as the memories hit her. The small spot on the grey shirt she had found was a dark reddish brown. It took her some time to notice the rest of the dark spots on the shirt but she had already known where it had come from. There was more of the dark substance around the gashes that the shirt had but it all seemed decorative, however Lilia thought that it couldn't simply be a plain decoration.

The young brunette moved around the room, pacing. She didn't remember why this shirt had those gashes or what she guessed was blood but she could be sure that probably it was the last thing her mother wore. Once she had decided to forget the cause she exited the room but before closing the door she looked inside, remembering the figure she had imagined behind her.

As she looked inside the room to see if there was anything out of place, she did come around something she hadn't seen since here childhood. The small book obviously full of writing had been laid carefully on her bed. The young Lilia entered the room once more to pick up the diary in her hands and stare around to see if she could catch a glimpse of her dear friend. The more she looked around the less she could feel his presence but she knew he was around.

"Link?" She called out loud. "I know you are around, please don't hide from me." She called out once more but was welcomed by an eerie silence.

The more she tried to call for him to come to her the more silence she found. Her green eyes watered slightly when she saw that he wouldn't appear so that he could hear what she wanted to tell him in real life. She walked outside and cursed slightly at her sore muscles that she had forgotten about back inside the mansion. She called out for Link once she had gained control of her body. But at hearing no answer a tear fell from the corner of her eye since she was starting to feel alone and hurt, her only friend being gone.

* * *

Outside of Hyrule Castle and deep within the city gates a nearly platinum blonde was walking hand in hand with his wife. The royal matrimony was dressed as commoners and passed unnoticed by the people surrounding them. A few guards from the Castle had decided to follow them but lost sight of them once they were surrounded by the hundreds of commoner in the market area.

Today was a busy day in Hyrule Town as the married couple walked around ignoring the great offers that the many merchants were trying to get. The more the prince and his wife walked around the more they felt comfortable around that many people. They were already heading in to the fun and games area of the city but were stopped by a playful brown dog nearly trampling the wife of the prince.

"Are you ok?" The prince asked holding his wife by the waist so that her body or the child she held met the rough floor.

"Haha, I'm alright." She said shifting the weight of the baby in her arms who didn't woke up by the small trampling. "She didn't even woke up." She told him smiling down to her sleeping baby.

"No wonder I've never liked dogs." He told his wife as he nuzzled to her neck making her giggle in the process.

"But he didn't do a thing." She told him as she looked at the small dog sitting in a corner. "Its only a pup." She told him once more as she saw the dog put a sad face.

Nick on the other hand didn't trust his wife words and stared to where her eyes were glued to. He could see that the dog had the feeling of guilt but he wasn't about to forgive him from his treacherous act. He would never forgive anyone who hurt his wife, even if it was by accident. As he kept glaring at the small dog, his wife was doing mocking and happy faces to cheer the dog up. Her efforts seemed to work better than his and the dog decided to approach her with its head down.

"Aww, how cute! Can I keep him honey?" She told her husband with the eagerness of a two year old. The dog lay down by her feet as she kept making more delighted sound when the dog showed her its belly.

"Do you have to do that now?" He asked her in mock annoyance as she used her feet to play with the dog. "Sweetie don't you dare drop baby Zelda." He told her as she tried to balance herself and the baby in her arms.

"Come on can't I have a puppy?" She told him with big dark blue eyes. "Or can't baby Zelda have one?"

"Love, can't you take things more seriously?" He asked her, giving his wife the cue that he had given up to her charms.

As she gave the sleeping baby to its father and picked up the pup from the floor, she laughed as it started to lick her face happily. She looked over to her husband but stopped smiling as she remembered that this would probably be the last time she would see him in his life. The second prince of Hyrule seemed to notice also what his wife was telling him with her sorrowful eyes. At this they both gave in a second of silence, lamenting that things had to end like this.

"Come on, let us go." He told her silently, not wanting his voice to break in public.

"Nick, please promise me that we'll meet again." She stated as they escaped the city without any guards taking notice of them being part of the royal family.

"I can't promise you anything." He told her sincerely as they walked towards a carriage that had been waiting for them since early morning.

His wife entered the puppy into the carriage first before picking up the baby from her husband's arms. She looked at him quickly as she stared mostly to her sleeping baby's face. A small tear was shed and she quickly turned away from the man she loved. As she started to place the baby inside the carriage, little Zelda started to cry. The long haired brunette looked with worried eyes towards her husband as he starred down to the floor.

"She must feel it." She cuddled the four month old baby to her chest to see if she would calm down and it worked.

"There's no going back, get inside before I have to do something that I'll regret." He ordered her as he pushed her inside the carriage.

"Nick you wouldn't!" His wife half screamed at him but saw that his eyes showed his real feelings. _'He can't take this... Nick.'_ She though as she whimpered lightly, holding back what would be impending tears.

"Make sure you give this to Impaz once you arrive there." He told her once more as he gave her a book his mother told him was meant to be protected by the Sheikah.

Before the carriage had started to move he pulled his wife by the arm roughly and kissed her delicately on the lips. _I love you_, he mouthed that to her as he let go of her. He looked away from the departing carriage and prepared a murdering glare that was only meant for his enemies. _'Markus, you'll pay for this.'_

* * *

A younger version of Zelda's dead husband but with slightly darker eyes appeared in the local bar. He was slightly pissed and didn't even bother to change into more commoner like clothes instead of the high quality clothes belonging to the royal family. Once in he sat in his normal chair near the corner of the dirty bar and didn't even make a signal for his drink to be served since he was royalty after all.

He only waited a few minutes to have his first shot of the night. Right after it he started to curse his day to the waitress who had always listened to him.

"Another one." He said after he had confessed how pissed he was. "Hey precious give me a lap dance." He told his favorite waitress as she brought the drink to him.

"I don't care if you are the prince but don't treat me like a whore." She told him straight up but there was a hidden smile behind her words.

"Hah, you know I only ask that of you." He said chunking his small drink fast, loving the burn it had on his throat.

"Yea and every other girl in this room." She told him close to the ear but loving the way he reacted to the small touch of her lips nearly upon the skin.

He looked at her with the corner of his eye and laughed at her try in seducing him. Kain loved that girl but he knew his family would never allow him to bring her to the Castle but he didn't have to worry, he already had many kids with her. As he stared her up and down he called in for another shot. She brought two with her and sat next to him in the small table that only sat two people at a time.

"Why did you visit this time?" She asked him casually as she played with her cup of beer, which she hadn't touched.

"The kingdom is going to fall and I'm the only one who notices." He told her and for the first time in days showing his real feelings.

"Would our kids be alright?" She asked him touching her chest lightly in worry.

"You know with each drink I have and the more you do that-" He signaled to her chest. "The more I want to do you here."

The sound of a slap resounded around the calm bar and most faces turned to see the semi couple in the corner. Once they saw who the male was, they turned their head away from the commotion and into their cups of cheap beer. But both partners didn't care, they had done this before and always gained the same reaction from the people, not that they would care for anyone other than each other in this room.

"Stop being such an ass and tell me if our kids will be alright." She told him slightly mad that he was trying to skip the conversation.

"Geez can't a man have fun?" He told her as he held his cheek but stopped playing around once he received her glare. "They will be fine; the only one in the Castle alive that knows of the two of us is the servant that sends you the money." He told her as he rested his back on the chair and turned to study the room. Everyone that drank in the bar was members of his rebellion. He felt proud of what was achieved, not only had they gotten war veterans, he had gotten merchants, old members of the council and even women.

The problem was that the more quiet Kain stayed observing around the more suspicious his lover became. She had never seen him this alerted and had the feeling that something was going to go bad, since both of them knew that he only came here to get drunk. Feeling the hostility from his part she turned serious and moved her hand towards the knife she always carried around in her thigh. But her hand was stopped when Kain decided to grab the knife and then grab her ass.

"Hey!" She screamed, this time wanting to break his face for being so bold and daring, with her knife hanging between his lips.

But before any contact was done a lone figure entered the bar and searched around to see if it could find the person that it was looking for. When the light blue eyes from the man fell on the corner he smiled seeing the act that his brother was putting up. Ignoring the looks the platinum blonde got, he walked over to them and moved a chair to their table. Some of the man around wanted to protest at the unnecessary sound that he was producing but they stopped once they noticed who it was.

"Oh wow, so The Second Prince of Hyrule decided to come?" The sinister façade of the younger brother came back, the knife being held in his hands and no longer in his mouth.

"Shut up." The older one growled. "Bring me some dark beer." He called over to the bartender who sat in a stool cleaning some glasses.

"So ya' finally gave them up?" Kain said placing his arm heavily around the shoulders of his lover, who slightly growled at his heavy arm weighing her down.

"I will never give them up." Nick said glaring at the Third Prince of Hyrule.

"Oh yea I forget you aren't that heartless... you have something called feelings." He said with amusement in his voice as if he had never heard of something like that before; yet as he busied himself with talking and drinking the female in the group too her knife away from Kain.

"Heh, if I were you I would start protecting your kids." Nick said as he chucked on his beer with only one gulp. "Another one," he called over to the bartender.

The bartender shook his head in annoyance to the two royal members that in his mind both should take a royal dump their head. As he worked his way around the bar he saw that most clients had left in fear of the two powerful men. He cursed mentally as he saw that most of them didn't even leave a small tip. _'Those two riches should pay for this.'_ He thought menacingly but stopped his trail of thoughts once he noticed the real foul mood surrounding the brothers.

"Here you go." He said placing the cup as he would normally place it for any costumer in his bar.

"I still wonder how you two can drink that low excuse for alcohol." The younger brother broke the silence and tried to lift the mood but he was still slightly pissed from not having an army to himself.

"Kain!" The woman yelled next to him as if trying to get his attention on more important matters.

"What?" Kain asked as his beer was dancing dangerously close to his lips, he licked them. "Temptation," he whispered as he drank some more.

"I still can't believe you!" His lover yelled out loud, frustration running trough her veins. "Nick, please swear it to the Goddess that my kids will be alright." She pleaded the most sensitive brother who was far more cooperative than the father of her kids.

"Name?" Nick asked as he had never met the woman before.

"Ellie," she answered quickly as she found herself not liking introductions.

"The leader of the rebellion?" Nick asked once more as he found himself amused by the people that surrounded his youngest brother.

"No brother," Kain said as he extended his arm over Ellie's shoulders. "That would be me."

"Hmpt, well Markus must know by now of the money he has been sending." He said as he gulped another been in only one try.

"Kain!" Ellie yelled to the Third Prince of Hyrule. "How come Nick knows?" She told him as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I don't know he's just smart." The darker eyed male told the woman who had started to fight against him. "Please bartender, your strongest beer!" He yelled over to the man behind the counter once he couldn't stand anymore her screams.

"Nick! You got to do something!" She chooses the other brother who was wincing at her loud pitch voice.

"Urg, bartender, please bring me the same as Kain!" He yelled over to the man who grunted in the process. _'Man now I understand why he gets drunk.'_ Nick thought as he drank the night away.

* * *

"What!" The yell of the irreversible king was heard throughout the castle.

The oldest of Zelda's sons was in his normal rage. As he tried to control everything that stood under him, he wasn't capable of noticing the strange movements his brothers had done with the money management. He wanted to take control of everything and dictate the life of even the loveliest servants. But he had failed on observing the money the youngest of his brother was sending off to a random woman in within the city's diameter.

"Lord Markus please calm down." His advisor stated trying his best to protect the other brother's interest.

"What do you mean calm down?" The king yelled in frustration. "Can't you see they've been playing me all this time?" He yelled once more.

"Yes but think of it this way, wont it be better to gain the people's trust by being the victim or worsening your brothers state?" He suggested but had to duck fast as a book was thrown in his direction. "My lord, please!"

"Please what?" He screamed once more as he took all the paper sitting on his desk and pushed them off with his mighty arms. "Can't you understand that traitors aren't accepted in my family?" He said glaring at his big and full of cuts hands.

Calm and tranquility ruled the room for a few minutes but it didn't last long. He made his way to the highly decorated door on the other side of the room and didn't say a word. He kept moving his way around the Castle till he got to the area in which the maids stood around each other talking casually. As soon as they noticed of his presence they all stood straight and made a perfect line, all of them bowing at his presence.

"Where is Kay Lyn?" He asked courtly but they all knew of his great and sick façade.

"Here" An old servant said, not afraid of what will surely befall on her.

"Come over here, yea stand here... next to me." He said with a fake smile on his face, or really not that fake when some thoughts crossed his mind.

"What can I do for you my Lord?" She said bowing to him.

"Noting." He said lifting a dragger he had hidden in his left pocket. "You are useless." He said as he moved the dragger and placed an even cut all over the aged lady's neck. He didn't press it further but backed away not wanting to get blood on him. "Now if all of you want to survive first be useful and clean this and two dare to break my rule and you'll die." He threatens them all to make sure he didn't have to waste useful weapons on pitiful people.

* * *

Link looked off to the sky as he rested against a tree that was starting to bloom its early flowers. He looked around and thought back to what he had done the other day, which had him running away and hiding today. He couldn't figure what was going on with him since he never in his life had run away from Zelda, and he was the first to kiss her. He, however, felt something wrong deep within him since for the first time he noticed that he hadn't reacted to the thoughts of his fist kiss to the Princess of Destiny.

'_Maybe I'm not falling in love as I thought... maybe I'm already in love.'_ He thought as he stared into the nothing far away from the lake.

The blonde hero hadn't moved much from this place since early in the morning that he had left to lay the book on her bed without her knowing. He heard her call for him and he heard her search around till she gave up and left with a salty trail of tears floating in the air. He had wanted to go over to her and hold her but he didn't dare. He had also wanted to go and protect her never leaving her to doubt his dedication to her. But he didn't.

As he thought back to everything he had done with her and all the games he used to play with her head he couldn't help but smile. Her young innocence had gotten him and he couldn't help but start thinking of her in more ways. He had fallen in lust before and knew that thanks to the memories he shared with Malon but those didn't last long and he found himself alone and lonely.

His large hylian ears perked up when he heard small and slow footsteps on the slightly wet grass. He got on guard and saw behind him over his shoulder but stopped there. Only a few feet away from him stood the girl that had been troubling him for some time. He didn't know what to do but got up at her presence and stared at her hidden behind the tree, her eyes glued to the floor.

"Lilia..." He called her name, making her lift her head in his direction showing pained emerald eyes.

She didn't say a thing but stayed where she was looking at him with the same expression. He on the other hand pushed himself way from the tree and a foot distance from her. Both of them never moved their eyes from each other. However, the small girl closed the small distance between both of them and hugged him afraid for what could have happened. Her body started to shake as she kept holding on to him as a support beam and cried her heart out.

"It's alright, I'm here." He told her as he hugged her back and brushed his hand on her shoulder length hair.

"Why you did that?" She said into his vest as her body continued to shake from her sniff.

"I'm sorry." He told her kissing her head with all the growing love he had for her.

"Link..." She looked up to his beautiful blue eyes and sniffed loudly which blocked her words for a second. "I'm scared." She told him sincerely as she didn't release her hold around his torso, not that he minded.

"Lilia, I owe you so much." He told her as he held her small chin with his right hand, the other being kept protectively around her shoulders.

"No you don't. I'm the one who always needs to be rescued; I'm the one who is really meaningless in your life." She told him, remembering back to the days in which he stood up for her and pulled her over to safety.

Link, however, smiled she looked so adorable in his mind. Her small face in his hands and the closeness of each other made him say and do something that he didn't regret, this time that is. "Lily, I have a reason for that and for this." He told her bluntly as he leaned down to press his lips against her slightly cold ones.

The small brunette who reached him to neck length widened her eyes. This had been the second time he had done this and this had been the second time she found herself reacting to it. Her body subconsciously pressed closer to his body and deepened the lip locking by pressing back softly. As she grew in more comfortable in her own skin she closed her eyes and relaxed in to the kiss that the man was giving her so tenderly.

On the other hand his left hand moved over to her lower back so that he could support her slightly wavering legs. As he did that he also moved his right hand to the back of her head making sure to deepen the lip locking motion. While doing that he felt as if he was in heaven. He must have died and fallen to this place and got an angel as a reward. He wanted to make one more push to see what could happen but he stopped himself and broke the kiss before he did something he knew he would run away for sure.

"Link, I- " He silenced her with shush.

"Don't, we already know what we have to do, let's just enjoy this moment." He told her hugging her small body and protecting it from any harmful wind she could get.

Yet as Lilia rested in Link's arms she closed her eyes and opened them to see the setting sun, she looked down to the grass and then once more to the sun thinking: _'how can I tell him that I'm not in love with him?'_


	9. Chapter 08: Action

**Hello and welcome! I'm getting pretty vigorous with all the updating I've been doing lately. I guess it's pretty obvious I'm on vacation.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**The Timeless Shadow**

* * *

"_Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often." _– Mark Twain

* * *

Chapter 08: Action

* * *

Two weeks had passed and in that time the young and slightly naïve Lilia had grown much. She had passed the day she was born with a little training and a much needed rest. But her small break didn't last long as she found herself training harder the next day. Link who had become her trainer was happy when he noticed that she was a natural with the bow and arrow, making him concentrate on perfecting her skills with what would be her new weapon of choice. Yet that fact made him think back to when he first arrived to this cursed place and met the woman who mothered Lilia. Yet for him both females looked so much alike, the only difference between the two women were that Lilia had lighter hair and was a few inches shorter on height.

"Lilia." Link said as he caught the attention of the quiet girl. It was early morning and she greeted him with an _'uh hum'_ as she continued preparing her breakfast. "Are you sure you are ready?" He asked her worry evident in his words, yet time was the sole responsible that was making him more attached to the young girl.

She stopped what she was doing to stare at him and then to move her sight towards her shoeless feet. She didn't know for sure if she was ready for what she might have to try and conquer, but that fact alone didn't stopped her. She felt that she didn't want to depend on him for everything, since she knew that both of them wouldn't last forever. The more she thought on what she had to do, the more she thought of how mortal she was. He might have been capable of deceiving time back in his days as a hero, and also deceive fifty years of his life in this curse, but she knew he probably couldn't do it a third time. And probably she will be fully alone for many years to come.

She was after all a descendant of her mother, she who lived past a hundred without aging, yet her mother was dead. And unlike the strong woman who had given birth to her, Lilia knew that she was born pretty weak. As a baby, Lilia would often get sick due to the low temperatures of the north. Some of those times being a worry to her parents as they suspected that she wouldn't reach to live to the year. She surpassed that probability and was alive today, probably her future as a semi immortal being what kept her alive even today.

"Tell me, Lily. Please." Link nearly pleaded as he stared into the green eyes of the young female. "I don't want you to do something you aren't prepared to do." He said as he moved closer to the teen.

"I..." She started only to pause when he lifted her chin so that she could stare directly into his blue eyes.

"I'm here." He said as he chuckled lightly at how he had shocked the girl for a slight second.

A small smile broke to her face as she looked up to the man that had fallen for her. She closed her eyes and allowed her chin to rest slightly on his hand for support as she tried her best to hold back a small fit of laughter. She succeeded lightly but he knew what she was doing with that action and found himself staring back to big and innocent green eyes. After a minute of staring into each others hearts, they recollected themselves and she remembered what he was pleading her to tell him.

"Link... I, I..." She started but was at a lost of words, what was she going to tell him? How egoist she wanted to be and not free him so that he could be at her side? Or how she only saw him like a close friend? She couldn't find herself to become someone she wasn't and choose her answer after an internal fight had concurred inside of her. "I don't want to do this." She told him sincerely as tears swelled in her eyes, her fear of being alone creating a deep pain in her chest.

Link stopped for a minute as he saw how much trouble she was having with this small decision that marked the future of Hyrule. Link knew that if he had to choose by his feelings he could care less of the kingdom he once served. But he knew that it would be wrong of him. He was called in dreams to once again save the princess, which he doubted there was any. He knew Zelda had three boys and that none of them had a child that was the extension of his knowledge since he had heard it from Lilia's father. Yet even if he had developed feelings for the young girl, the Goddesses spoke to him, his time of awakening coming close.

"Link, listen to me." Lilia said as she grasped his cheek with both hands. "I am prepared to do this, but I don't really want to lose you." She said as she looked down preparing herself to say what she might regret in a near future. "Even thought I don't want to, the people need you more than I do." She voiced her internal conflict as she wiped a tear away only for it to be replaced by another one. He was her friend, her only company, sometimes ever her protector. How could she turn her back on all of that?

Link smiled at her, she didn't know how much she had grown but he sure noticed. He pulled her hold on his face away and held both hands with one and used the free one to clear her face of tears. _'I don't like to see her cry, but I'm sure she will be alright. Her mother's spirit is always with her.'_ He though as he closed his eyes and hugged her allowing her to cry out her tortured mind. _'I wish I could tell her what I feel but then I wouldn't have the heart to leave her.'_

* * *

On this day the more time proceeded, the more Zelda regretted having stayed in the new Kakariko. She was being egoistical due to the fact that she was using the people as a shield and this coming from her was going way low. Today she saw everything being on how it should have been since the beginning. Every street was deserted and most of the people had fled following the lead of her old friend and his family. The more she penetrated into the village the more lonely she felt, she knew of a small group that stayed, being brave enough to stay and protect what was left of the village and of the Queen herself.

As she walked around ignoring the calls she got from a group of men that was preparing weapons and all that short of things. She never once did stop her trek as she walked further away and into the solicitude of the graveyard. Here in the place were people rested she decided to rest under a tree, who observed the masses of tombstones. She didn't mind the sudden and intensified feeling of loneliness but she didn't give it too much thought.

As she sat in a comfortable position she thought of the men who were willingly to give their life to protect her. She knew it was wrong but if they had chosen their destiny she wasn't in the position to push them away from it. But the more she thought of it all the more she started to pray for their lives. As she accommodated her body so that she would stand on her knees she started to pray for the lives of the death. She wanted the dead to give her the energies to continue and for the living to be protected by the dead.

However she felt a small presence behind her and she turned over to see who it was. Her eyes landed on the young boy who hadn't left her side since he had helped her escape. He seemed determined to protect her and his eyes showed the markings of a future hero. She observed him, studying him and noticed something in him that the knights from her kingdom had started to lack. The more she looked at him studying his form the more she started to feel guilty about having him here and not away with the rest of the people.

"Why didn't you left with them?" She asked him with the tenderness she would have asked her grandchildren but by the looks of it she wouldn't live to see that day.

"I wouldn't be capable of living with the guilt." He said as he kneeled next to her and started to pray to the heavens for the aged woman who had given the orphan the love he never knew existed. But truth to be told, it was the young boy that was giving all the love.

* * *

The maddened oldest son of Zelda walked around the castle that stood quiet that morning. He knew that he had to lay low, before turning his gears into action, he decided that today could have never been a more perfect day for his plans. He laughed mentally as he prepared himself for the small talk that was about to happen. A few more minutes of him walking around the polished floors of the main hall and he found himself stopping in front of a door that looked the same as any other, but what it had inside was something with far more value.

He didn't bother to knock and entered the room as he would have entered his own room. The door closed with a loud bang behind him and it was meant for the person inside the room to notice his presence. Once inside the room all he had to do was pass the living area and glare. That way he could conceal his speechless face and hate to the person he didn't truly felt like betraying. However, as his light blue eyes tried their best to digest what was going on in the room, his face reddened. The same thing happened to someone with features similar to Markus, as true shock swept through both men in the room.

"Oh for the love of Din put some clothes on." The gruff tone of Markus said as he looked away and gave his youngest brother his back. That was due to the embarrassment of seeing his nude brother.

Yet not being afraid to look at a woman, Markus turned over and stared at the woman dressed in fishnets while glaring at her he said. "Get the fuck out of here... unless you want to meet your end." He threatened the woman who obliged and ran out without even picking her clothes up.

The man on the other side of the room didn't protest against the given order and quickly moved to cover himself with some slightly decent clothes. Once he was dressed in his high silk robe he walked out of his sleeping area and into the common area in which his older brother, and king of Hyrule, stood observing the painting he had in the room. Abusing of the fact that his back was to his younger brother, Markus closed his eyes as he thought of the day he had painted that scenery, all because Kain had wished for the beauty of it to be grasped eternally.

"Why you had to do that? I was having fun." The fake childish tone of Kain came from behind his eldest brother as he moved beside the older man, him also admiring the art Markus could easily create. It was strange to who knew that such a dark and mad person was capable of re-creating the most beautiful sceneries in a small portrait. That being one of the few things that allowed Kain to believe that there was still hope for his brother.

"You imbecile, is that your term of fun?" He said as he glared at the wall, before turning back to the painting, great memories were related to it. Memories, those were mostly dead to him.

"Well maybe, I mean I haven't seen you with a woman since your last wife." Kain said patting his brother on the back but making sure he wasn't mad at him for the comment.

"That is because I'm not a womanizer like you." Markus said with a smirk on his face. "Plus I don't do it everywhere."

Silence decided to rule the room as the two brothers took some time off their teasing time. They observed the paintings in the room and made a few comments of each one. However, once Markus stopped on his favorite painting again he didn't comment. He was having some slight trouble with doing what he was meant to do thanks to that painting. But his thoughts were decided to be interrupted by his youngest brother.

"I gotta' say you always loved that painting." Kain said as he observed his oldest brother cautiously.

"Of course I do, I made it myself." He said as he opened his eyes, those icy blue eyes that could swallow people whole after freezing them.

"If I don't forget I was less than three feet tall when you painted that... yup yet that day I had beaten in wrestling." Kain said as he came closer to his brother once he thought everything was safe, but his words didn't stop there. "I also remember that day... if I'm not wrong Nick had you beaten in chess."

The slightly cynical words from Kain had pushed the limit. Here was King Markus who was planning on forgiving his younger brother for the damage he had done, but now everything had fallen. Without looking for where to hit Markus twisted his torso over with his elbow to the air. The sudden move had Kain shocked and not prepared for the hit which came hard on his cheek. As the younger brother had trouble finding his balance, he could barely hear the scream Markus had released soon after the hit. It was the call of war.

Another hit came to Kain fast and had him sprawled on the floor wondering what was going on with him and why his body wasn't following his orders. As he tried to get up he found himself a helping hand, but in the most painful way possible. A ringed hand had found its way to his long blonde locks and pulled painfully on them so that he would get on his two feet faster. Kain yelled loudly and cringed as a hit was met to his face once more.

"You will never dare to betray me again!" Markus yelled in his face a few sparks of spit landing on Kain's bruised cheeks. "Do you get that?" He yelled once more and when he saw no response he smacked his brother once more, freeing his locks and allowing him to fall limp on the floor.

The King of Hyrule ordered a few knights around and walked off. The hurt and tired Kain lifted his head lightly as a few men entered the room and picked him up carefully, he saw something in one of them but he couldn't recollect what it was. He could barely listen to what they were speaking but it sounded serious. _'What's wrong with me? I could have taken him on... no.' _Kain thought as he felt his feet slightly drag against an unpolished floor. _'He must have drugged me... impossible... that bastard.'_ He thought finally as he welcomed the darkness of the drug.

"Oh great… he fainted." One of the knights supporting the prince weight said.

"You picked the wrong straw bro; it's your turn to carry him." The other Knight said lightly as he joked of his partner's bad luck.

However the knight that had picked the wrong straw smiled as he positioned the prince upon his back. He didn't protest but thought back to when he was still a child and not a man. _'Father… you used to carry me back then, now it's my turn to carry you.'_

* * *

"What does he have planned!" Nick demanded as he punched the advisor of his older brother a cracking sound coming to his ears as he found himself pleased. _'Must have broken his nose…´_ Nick thought with a smirk as he stared at the man before him.

"I don't know my lord... p-ple-please don't kill me." The advisor of Markus shuttered as he felt the blood pour down from his broken nose.

"Don't you dare lie in my face, you mother..." One of the princes of Hyrule spoke lowly as he added many profanities on the advisor's family name.

The more time that passed, the more Nick wanted to draw his sword and chop the man's head off the more he had to hold back his urge. He let go of the man who was crying with pleas and allowed him to fall on the floor. As he looked at the man's face that had a combination of bruises combined with tears that mixed with the blood coming from his nose, he scuffed at his handy work and thought that he was becoming just like his brother. As he turned over to leave he thought back to all the plans that the advisor must have done and protected, he believed that he must have fallen short on the punishment.

The tall blonde reared back and brought his foot forward against the face of another madman behind the throne. The man's head responded like a ball and the back of his skull crashed against the wall he had used earlier as support. Due to the impact the man's body slumped against the floor in pure unconsciousness. Nick on the other hand found himself smiling at the fact that at least he had placed justice without any legal ways or forms; somehow satisfied by his sadistic way.

However his smile fell suddenly as he saw two knights standing at the entrance to the dungeons, blocking his escape. He knew that if he acted offensive they would of apply their many years of experience on him and he knew that being physical wasn't his strongest point. The more he thought of any forms of escape the less enthusiastic he became. However, his worst fear started to come true as the knights moved their heavily armored body over to him.

'_I can't die here. They need me.'_ He thought aggressively as he moved his hand to pick up his dao resting on his hip. However, the knights didn't act as how they should have and once they saw him move his hand to his short sword they dropped to the floor in a pleading position. Nick's face was priceless during that moment and he grew closer with caution, not knowing what to expect of these men.

"State your business." He commanded once he was at a meter of distance.

"We came to help you our lord." One of the knight answered as both men stayed put on their kneeling position vulnerable to any short of attack.

"And what do you think you would help me with?" He asked as he starred them down, but they never returned their eyes to him, not even for a glimpse.

"King Markus had sent a group to assassinate Kain's family." The same man who answered before stated as he quivered upon his possible destiny.

"What?" Nick half yelled as his eyes widened at the thought that Markus had outsmarted him. "You two ran away from his club of assassins' right?" Nick said but no words were said by the men, they simply nodded and one of them whimpered lightly when the second in line moved. "If you two want freedom I suggest going back to the group and slowing them down." He commanded as he told them of his strategy knowing that it would be suicide if it didn't turned all right.

The men didn't wasted time upon their orders and ran away in the same direction they had come from. As Nick walked forward he felt a small pain on his chest, followed by the feeling of sadness taking over. He didn't know what was going on but it didn't felt good. Upon remembering what was meant to happen if he didn't interfered, he pushed himself forward and began to run. _'I have to stop them, those men aren't worth trusting. Mai, Kain, mom, little Zelda... please all of you be safe.' _He thought as he turned a sharp corner, entering sewers bellow the busy city that was oblivious to what was going on deep in the castle.

* * *

The thumping of the carriage meant trouble. The small pup woke up from the hit and his owners scream. The few month old baby cried loudly as its closed eyes were still oblivious to the danger surrounding it. Another hit against the carriage and Nick's wife found herself clutching her baby in fear for her life. The cries of the kid weren't the only thing heard as she yelled loudly afraid of what was going on outside. Another thud and the last thing the prince's wife heard as she found herself falling into pools of darkness.

The darkness that surrounded her sight was interrupted as a man's hand grabbed hold of her shoulder and started shaking her. The shaking was interrupt when a baby's cries distracted the man and he proceeded to quiet the baby, but everything he did seemed to fail. The small pup started to lick the face of the woman to see if she would wake up and somehow that seemed to work lightly. She twisted lightly and moved her face away from the animal and soon enough she started giggling, once she had found herself to be fully conscious.

"Stop it." She commanded the dog but it didn't work since she was laughing all the way, the pups licking growing more vigorous the more she laughed.

"My lady, please stop playing and take care of your baby." The man who was rocking baby Zelda effortlessly said as he heard the woman being fully awake.

"Ok, ok." She said as she sat up and opened her eyes to see the man rocking her baby. "You know you could do it in the best way she still wouldn't quiet down." She told him as she laughed lightly, with her free spirited voice. "Here, let me show you." She said as she picked her baby from the man's arms.

Instantly once the baby was in her arms it quiet down, only leaving small hiccups. The tears she had gained were cleaned by her mother and she fell asleep once she was secured in her mother's caring arms. The man who did the same thing before but didn't work stared at the woman in wonder, as he asked how she did that. "She only stops crying with me, not even Nick is capable of doing this." She told him, at the same time she started to observe her surroundings.

"My lady I'm sorry but we will have to continue on foot." The man said politely as he remembered that she was a lady of the castle.

"Please stop the names; I'm no longer in the castle." She said with her kind blue eyes penetrating deep into the man's soul. "Call me Mai."

"Alright Lady Mai," he said trying it out but her eyes narrowed.

"Drop the Lady." She said harshly and once she saw him nod she dropped the act and smiled serenely. "Oh yeah, where are we headed?" She asked him once she noticed the broken carriage a few feet away, the two horses not too far off.

"Um... my lady-" He stopped by the glare he received. "I mean Mai, yeah Mai." He said testing it and making sure he wouldn't forget it, her glares were pretty nasty. "We got out of route; I guess we will have to stop by at Lake Hylia." He said as he wondered what they were going to do next.

"Then what are we waiting for?" She asked him with her energies on high, which seemed contagious since the dog started jumping up and down and running circles around the two of them.

* * *

**Well this is the end for this chapter, but announcements... oh boy how I LOVE announcements. I'm still looking for a Beta for this story (and my others), plus I checked and found that the story will end soon at roughly fifteen chapters long. It's only a matter of time till I truly sit down to finish it.**

**So if anyone is interested send me a message, and don't forget to review as they make the author happy.**

**~~Adrianne**


	10. Chapter 09: Action Part 2

**Hello guys and welcome back, I'm still thinking of how the story will end but I know it's going to turn out great.**

**So with no more to say, enjoy!**

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**The Timeless Shadow**

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"_A real decision is measure by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided." _– Tony Robbins

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Chapter 09: Action (Part 2)

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"Lilia, are you sure?" Link asked her for the sixth time that day.

"Come on Link, stop worrying about me. I will be fine, plus you'll be with me." Lilia said as she tried her best to maintain the courage that ran through her blood, but was slightly quivering.

Link continued to walk behind her and became a watchful eye for her as they proceeded to the underground dungeons in the dark parts of the mansion. Lilia's eyes continued to move frantically over anything and every corner deep within the darkest parts. However, as she might have been capable of maintaining her composure, yet her heartbeat was going at ridiculous speeds. It wasn't normal how nervous the young female was, and Link noticed. But there was nothing he could do to help her in her situation.

"Over there." He said as they headed to a door the young female had never seen in her life.

"So this is it?" She asked scared of what might hide behind those doors.

"Yea... your mother took me here when she tried to break the curse." He said as he moved away from her knocking down a few of the chains it had on.

"You knew mom?" She asked feeling slightly betrayed but confused at the same time.

Link grunted for a second and backed away to where the girl stood his back always to her. As he turned over to stare into her youthful face he smiled, but it turned to a grimace as a huge block of chain fell to the floor with a loud _'clang'_. Lilia on the other hand cringed at the sound and shook lightly as her fear of the dark grew back in her. She was calmed down fast by the knowing hand belonging to the blond holding her shoulder, his small smile reassuring her.

"And the answer would be a yes." He told her making her forget of the chains and the dark. "You look a lot like her."

"Really?" She asked hopefully thinking of how much she admired her mother.

"Yea but drop the act she wasn't like that." He said chuckling as her face fell to a frown. "That's more like it. But if you look up to her it's great to one extension." He said as he held back a small laugh wanting to be freed from his lips.

"Smooth, and here I thought we were getting somewhere." The girl said as she rolled her eyes, mocking him lightly.

Link lifted an eyebrow at her attempt of mocking him and with it crossed his arms in front of her. "Do you want to know what happened here?" He asked her and she nodded forgetting of the act she put up. "We broke this door open and she had a vision. In it, she told me, she saw herself walking around holding a child. That was what made her forget of breaking the curse." Link said sadly as he casted his blue eyes to the floor.

Link walked closer to the door and allowed his hand to rest up against it and then proceeded to continue. "She got the chance to break it halfway, which is the reason for why you can see me walking around in person or wolf form. However, that isn't enough... I need to break it fully." He told her with full determination.

"Link..." Lilia said as she tried to reach for him but her hand shied away. "This time... it'll be different. Mom backed away afraid of being alone but I know I won't be alone. I'm sure you'll come back." She said in a soft voice, yet a part of her wished she could believe what she was speaking.

"Eh, not to be melodramatic or anything but I've told you already. You know what happened to Zelda and Malon. There's a high chance of me never coming back." He told her as he pushed himself away from the door, opening it slightly and giving her the slightly cold and emotionless face.

"But Link." Lilia tried to speak only to be stopped once more by the man before her.

"Lilia don't you get it! I'm a hero, I'm meant to serve the people. Sooner or later I will leave you to serve once more." Link said looking away, his eyes betraying his cold voice.

"Then I'll be your shadow and help you serve the people." She told him innocently as she took a hold on his arm.

Out of the corner of the young girl's eyes she saw something shining that stood out from the dark atmosphere that surrounded them. She smiled knowingly to herself and thought back to what he was telling her about his adventure in this place. _'He seemed to have left it in his frenzy.'_ She thought smiling knowingly as her eyes moved over to the man that stayed quiet still absorbing her words. _'I wonder...'_

"Hey, Link?" She asked out loud gaining his attention. "Is that your old sword by any chance?" She asked him in a slight teasing tone, he caught up to it but only gave her a disapproving look before moving towards the dusty blade.

Once she saw him pick the sword up and exanimate it she saw a small glimmer of hope in his eyes. She looked down to the floor and her eyes clouded with sadness. She had a slight idea of what was going through his mind and in some strange way she didn't liked it. She didn't hear him say a word, but as soon as he finished examination the weapon he threw away the unbalanced sword that he was carrying on him. He grinned once more and turned over to look at the girl but his smile turned to a frown once he saw her.

"Lilia..." He said moving next to her and staring at her trembling hand on the bow. _'She must be fighting the decision.'_ He thought to himself but didn't dare to speak a word, not wanting to upset her more.

"You moron," she muttered lightly making the man jump back at her hostility. "Stop playing around, we don't have all day." The brunette said glaring at him but it wasn't the normal glare he'd receive from her; this one was more of a determined look.

'_Same as her mother...'_ He thought as he remembered the dead woman's face flashed over the teen that resembled her. "You should stay back then." Link said as he kicked the door open but fell on his knees as the monsters that attacked him when he first arrived to this snowy place went and jumped on him.

Before any of the dark monsters dared to touch him he found himself starring at the three accurate arrows that took the dark beasts out. He looked behind him to the girl that was placing another arrow on the old bow. Her face appeared to be fully controlled but her hands were trembling out of nervousness. She tried to gain control once more of her scarred body, but everything that flew on her mind was how scared she was that it would have ended there.

"Sh-shall we?" She said once she had finished placing the arrow in its place, her nervousness reaching her voice.

The blue eyed blond got up from the floor and nodded at the girl who just saved his life. This time he pulled out is shield from his back and gave her the signal to follow him through the dark; both of them knowing that the adventure wasn't worth the consequences.

* * *

When Nick barged through the doors of the humble home belonging to Kain's woman, he heard an ear piercing scream. He grew scared for what it was and ran over to where he had heard the sound to see no one, suddenly found that he was getting hit in the head by a large piece of wood. The person who had given him the blow stopped once it noticed who it was. Nick on the other hand simply grumbled as he tried to shake off the effect the hit had on him, his balance being completely off.

As he prepared himself to pick up his weapon the loud gasp from the person stopped him in his tracks. He then noticed the woman from a few weeks ago and let go of his weapon. He would never try to hurt the person he was looking for to protect. He nodded painfully to the weapon she was holding in her hands and she dropped it to the floor with a loud clang.

"I guess you were informed." He said as he rubbed the back of his head where a small lump was forming.

"Ah... yes I was." She said as she picked up her choice of weapon and placed it next to her. "Please sit here." She said as she leaded him over to the small table for four.

"Thanks." He said as he sat on the chair careful of not breaking it, yet the pain in his head making him feel strange. "Where are the kids? It's awfully quiet in here." He said as he looked around to see everything spotless.

"They left with the oldest a week ago. I was afraid that Markus might have gotten to them, seeing as they could claim the throne in a near future." She said with worry evident in her voice. "Also did Niak tell you of the next visit?" She said casually, changing the subject as if her life or her family's weren't in danger.

"Wait you're telling me that Niak is a knight?" He asked as his face paled up lightly and she nodded to his question. "So that was Niak..." He said to himself, thinking of the knight that had pleaded to aid him.

"I guess he wanted to follow his father steps." She said as she picked up her body and placed some leather gloves on. "They're coming."

Believing her words Nick stood up and pulled out his dao and held it securely with his right hand. A few more minutes passed of them starring at the door with positions ready to strike but nothing happened. Some yells went on the outside asking for them to give up without a fight, except they forgot that the second prince was known for his stubbornness.

A group of knights barged through the door and found themselves surprised by presence of the next in line, standing tall and proud. Most of the men were shaking and too petrified to attack at any order, as attacking the throne was penalized by death. The other knights in the back found them to be the most composed of them all, till they reminded each other of their orders. The son of the third prince tried to hold back, but he couldn't betray Hyrule anymore and proceeded to shout orders against his will.

'_Mother, forgive me..._' He thought as he yelled for them to be captured alive, confusing the men since that wasn't their original order. However, something happened when Nick took one step forward and pushed the woman of Kain behind him. He held his dao at his side, it appeared to be a defenseless position but it was meant to fool them. His glare deepened as he one of the knights moved lightly but stopped due to the intensified gaze. They wouldn't dare attack him.

"What's the reason of attacking this woman?" The Second Prince of Hyrule asked.

"Ah, why are you asking?" The one from the back that hadn't spoken at all but accompanied Niak on the protection of his family spoke. "Let us say that our command is... kill the traitors."

Once he had said those cynical and malicious words he pulled out his sword. He didn't command the men to do a thing; he simply stood there with his sword drawn out. His eyes staring directly to Nick's eyes, as if giving him a challenge, his smug face indicating that he thought he would surely win the challenge. With a few seconds into the stare the knight moved his sword to the left, the movement swiftly and slashing the air. The sound paused for a second as the man connected his sword with Niak's neck. Upon contact, blood started to pour from Niak's neck and his body fell on his knee first, his eyes open and empty, as the head was completely separated from the body. Everyone in the room stared at the killer with their eyes filled with shock, even the knights didn't know what to do, as they stared at the head of their compatriot.

"No!" A pained scream came from behind Nick. Quickly the prince moved around and held the woman by her shoulders. At the moment he knew she wasn't thinking clearly, yet it was pretty obvious that if she ran past him, she'll fall into the death trap. "Let go Nick! My baby, please!" She yelled in desperation as she fought against the strong grip Nick had on her.

"Stop it!" He yelled to her and she calmed down, but started to fight once more when she saw the blood under the knights' feet.

"Guys, I'm tired of watching this. Kill her already and capture Nick and if anyone dares to go against my rule they'll die." The killer of Kain's oldest son ordered as he left the area, lighting on a cigarette on his way out, but before leaving he spoke. "Oh, guys... you got till I finish this cig."

The last command he gave was the last thing needed and all of the knights leaped forward to the disoriented woman of Kain and the scared Nick. The blonde did the first thing that came to mind and pushed the woman out of the way, forgetting her and defending himself. She on the other hand fell to the floor with a loud bang but that didn't stop her. She glanced at the fighting form of Nick and noticed his struggling against the group of knights.

Instead of redeeming herself she crawled over to the body of her son and cradled his head on her lap, as some silent tears dropped from her face. However, in between tears and a few sobs she noticed the face of the man she had cradled on her lap wasn't the same as her son. She then proceeded, in between tears, to take of his helmet and she smiled relieved that this wasn't her son. As she moved the head of the man away from her body she remembered her brother-in-law and joined her fist together, this time determined for them both to survive.

She ran over the group surrounding Nick and punched on of them in the face, making him fall flat on the floor. She kicked two more to make more space and found herself resting her back on Nick's back. She glared deeply to the men not so far away from her and proceeded to protect his back. Nick on the other hand was doing fairly well as he saw that these men didn't had the real ability he's seen on other knights. He had to admit that he fought dirty and used kicks against the men's bodies but he didn't stop even thought he was already breathing deeply.

"Nick." Kain's woman called him as she saved him from a trust in the back.

"What!" He yelled over the noise most of the men were doing, plus he wasn't in the greatest of moods.

"Follow me." She said as she took off and broke some space between the highly prepared soldiers.

He ran behind her and didn't stop. The group of knights tried to follow them but they took in advantage the city over populace and ran over to the market district. Once they found themselves safe, they proceeded to enter a house. No one was in it at the moment but if they were in, no one would have come out. Nick grew in on high alert but saw noting, a few rats but noting that could really be taken seriously.

"Where are we?" He asked her but she shushed him as she found a hidden door. This door led to a room with a small candle and a small group of women and men, the bartender from two weeks ago was among them. "What is the meaning of this?" He asked astonished by what he found underground in the city he had grown up.

"Simple. We are Hyrule's aiding group." The bartender said as he moved forward over to the prince of Hyrule. "Kain created this group twenty years ago, he said he noticed Markus markings since young and the death of his grandfather marked the beginning."

"Wait a minute, so he knew all this time?" Nick asked shocked, he had always though Kain was busier mixing with women than observing his surroundings.

"Yes, we've all did." The woman beside the prince spoke, sadness dawning in her words. "Kain was the closest to Markus so he noticed many things, some that we aren't even capable of speaking of." She added.

"So there's more?" Nick said out loud. _'He must have the most capacity out of us... then that might mean that he's behind this all.'_ The second prince thought startled, as he thought of the many times that Kain could have probably gotten him into trouble.

The people in the room chuckled at his expression already expecting the thoughts that crossed his mind. The blue eyed blonde noticed and narrowed his eyes in full suspicion; this was Kain's group after all. _'Kain couldn't have been this cynical. He would have been just like dad thought; he must be the perfect specimen out of mom and dad.'_ The nearly clear eyes of the man belonging to the royal family spoke of centuries of damage.

"Nick calm down." The woman beside him spoke touching his shoulder gently. "We need you as our leader right now; reinforcements are heading from the east and are waiting upon our call." She said coldly making him notice that everyone in this room had a dual personality.

With her words Nick closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he knew what happened to his brother inside the castle. Yet he knew that the people needed a leader that was when he found his determination, he opened his eyes and spoke. "Brief me up on the situation at hand."

* * *

"They're here." The Queen spoke breaking away from her small trance.

The men who had gathered to pray with the Queen all broke away from their trance and picked up their weapons. The last one to break away from his praying position was the young teen that tried his best to maintain a stoic face. It didn't work and everyone saw trough it but they ignored it and someone simply threw a sword at his feet. The dark headed boy picked it up and stared at a tool of death with a blank look. He knew he was determined to protect the Queen but what he held in his hands was a weapon of death.

The group of men gave each other knowingly looks and some even cheered. They were expecting this battle for a few weeks already and they couldn't have been eager. The men tried to stand protectively around Zelda but she made her way to the very front of the group. All of them stood on the south of the town, near the house of the village leader. The gray haired Zelda looked around the surrounding men but found herself wanting to go back on her word. She knew how Hyrules soldiers fought and didn't expect any mercy from them.

'_I cannot let them die.'_ The wrinkled face of Zelda turned down thanks to the aid of a frown. _'They don't know how this will end up... why didn't I stop it before?'_ The battle was starting to warm up in her head but successfully reached its climax once she saw the large group of horses entering the village. _'There's no way out of this.'_ She closed her eyes for a second and then opened them to see the man to her left.

"Please don't let the boy die." She whispered in his ear and he nodded, taking a small nervous gulp, he wasn't even sure if he was about to live.

The Queen stared around watching as the soldiers closed in. She was nervous herself but she was more worried for the people surrounding her since she was still royalty, she was sure she was meant to be taken in alive. The group of knights stopped not so far from them and gave them a hard look, which was meant for the woman who had given them this trouble. No words were spoken when they locked in their eyes, but that didn't stop him from giving the signal.

The men didn't hesitate and urged their horses forward, heading directly to the group on the Queen's side. As the men in armor charged their horses in the direction of the Queen everything seemed to go in slow motion. The men on her side moved forward, making sure that she was guarded behind them. The young boy who was also pushed back tried to move forward to get into the action, but was stopped by a light yet strong and firm hand.

"Don't... stay here." Zelda commanded to the young boy as she started to allow her powers sweep out.

Her wrinkles vanished and her eyes brightened to a sky blue. The boy stood to the side mesmerized by how beautiful she was, but it disappeared quickly when he noticed that the barrier the men had formed around them was broken. He took hold of the sword he had on his hip and blocked a hit from an unmounted knight. He grew scared as the strength of the man, who easily started to overpower him and nearly gave away from his lock.

With the luck of gold on the boy's side, a blast coming from Zelda pushed the armored man away from the dark headed teen immediately killing him. The black headed boy shook lightly, as he showed how nervous he truly was. The sword shook wildly in his hand and he fought internally to gain control over it and his body. Another blast coming from his side made him go and jump into action. A new knight headed his way and threw a barricade of attacks, most of which the boy came out unscarred.

Once more he couldn't find the energies to defend himself and take the life of someone. In his small haste for running away he got slightly pinned and trapped, but lucky for him he was saved once more. The man who Zelda had talked to earlier that day was his savior and he couldn't find himself to be more grateful. However, remembering that this was a battle the boy moved back and gave the man some space for him to fight on.

The locking of blades were shorts and both of them had the same fighting style, as if he also had been a knight once in his life. The movements were equals but the age difference marked who was meant to win that small battle. Another _'clang'_ was heard and both men were locked, the knight's eyes locked with the older man eyes but the man never once gave him the advantage. The young soldier pushed harder and decided to do a risk it all game. He knew it wasn't the best decision he could have done but he didn't minded it that much, for him the kill counted more.

As he threw his plan into action he moved the blade to the side and allowed the older man blade to slide down his. He knew he had to time it right or else the more experienced man could take sharp notice of his vulnerable spot. However, the man saw through his plan and something shone in his deep blue eyes. He also timed his counter and when the knight proceeded to move to his right he pushed forward, his sword inclining to the man's neck. There was a sound of sword meeting clothing and flesh, but other than that the boy couldn't see who the real victim was since both of them stopped all of their movement.

"You shouldn't have tried to outwit age boy." The older man said, but he grinded his teeth as he knew that he had to live with a new death in his memory bank.

The man took the dead enemy sword out of his abdomen and proceeded to pull his own sword away from the man's neck. The body instantly crashed against the floor and he found himself wondering how many man he had killed back in his days. As he threw one of the swords on the floor he looked behind him to the slightly petrified boy. His eyes softened just for him and he found himself pulling him to a hug, allowing his paternal feeling come out.

"Sir... we're still in danger." The boy spoke politely, trying to see if it was the right time to pull away from the injured man embrace.

"Ah... yes. Do not worry we're at a safe distance." The man answered making sure that the boy wasn't capable of pushing away from his hold.

Nearly half a mile away from them and in the real action, Zelda took out another man with only once swipe of her hand. The aged woman tried to keep that pace she had but found her strength starting to waver. She felt a pair of eyes burning her back and she started to look for the owner of them. She decided to waver a bit on her concentration so that she could find them faster and her face immediately aged by the loss of power.

Not so long after she had allowed her powers to rest a tiny bit, her sight fell on the older man and the young boy. They were far from her and possibly in the quite opposite side of her. Her blue eyes locked with deep brown ones and a silent communication was set. She closed her blue eyes for a few seconds, contemplating the decision she was about to make. Once she suppressed her internal battle she allowed her eyes to open and nodded in the old man direction. The boy looked lost as he saw that everything had stopped but didn't dared to ask what was going on since the Queen had her gaze set on them.

Once the order was officially set the man felt a small pang of guilt but proceeded with it. His grip on the boy tightened and the hand that held the sword lifted into the air. He closed his eyes and thought back into the days, he used to do that a lot and it was common for him, as the trusted Knight of the King. Thinking back on the time and conditions he drew back enough strength to move his arm down in a strong impact and knock out the young boy by hitting the back of its neck with the butt of his sword.

The boy's eyes widened at the impact but soon closed as he lost consciousness. The world around him darkened in a swirl and his body went limp close to crashing to the floor, if it weren't for the man's arms it would have. The man decided to take advantage of his distance and pulled the boy so that its head rested on top of his shoulder on his uninjured side. However, the man failed to realize that his agility wasn't as good as before but he cleared it up by slowing down.

"Oh Zelda... I guess I aint what I used to be." He said to himself as he gave one last glance at the woman who kept fighting to protect the people.

He chuckled to himself remembering of the old times but his mind grew back to the order he had to finish. A low whistle came from his lips, it wasn't that low of a whistle but the distinctive sound flew over to the group of surviving men. Most of them regrouped fast and started to retreat in the opposite direction of the Knights. Once they all caught up to him he allowed them to continue their marry way as he took one last glimpse at the fighting Queen.

'_May the Gods be with you... my dear Zelda.'_ He thought lastly as he turned over, his vision of the woman his age being blurred by an attack she had directed to the ground as an act of diversion. As he continued to walk along the retreat route he thought something that had never occurred to him. _'Could we have been something more if I had met you six years before?' _

Once the cloud of sand had cleared an aged Queen was seen on the floor, dirtied with her own blood and the terrain that surrounded her. She didn't even bothered to glare in the direction of the knights but simply closed her eyes, in her mind the vision of the man that had helped her in so many faces of her life. _'Yael… would I have been in this spot if I were to meet you before?'_

* * *

**Well I hope you all liked this chapter, as I seemed to enjoy it. All I have to say I wished to see more reviews as I actually keep posting it because I like the theme within this story.**

**So anyhow I'll like to thank all readers who might have been faithful up to this point and that you are all welcome to make any type of comments. Remember I make this for entertainment but come on! This is the most complicated story line I have (Bloody Mary comes close... reason for why it's in hiatus).**

**So anyhow I actually love you guys, happy new years and allow for this year to be the one that I finish this story.**

**~~Adrianne**


	11. Chapter 10: Waiting

**Hi guys and welcome once more, thanks to those who read and like the story. Azarin, thanks for your review and allowing me to see your analysis of the story. I will take it all into account yet it will probably appear once I finish the story and decide to add a few missing links and edit it with more calm.**

**So for now enjoy and ready my note at the end of the story that will have an important news.**

* * *

**The Timeless Shadow**

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"_Human freedom involves our capacity to pause, to choose the one response toward which we wish to throw our weight." _– Rollo May

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Chapter 10: Waiting

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As the knights surrounded Zelda, all she had to do was allow them to do as they please. Most of them were pissed at the trouble she had given them and now was the perfect time for them to show it. The one marked as the leader stood back but didn't allow the men to hurt her _badly_. His eyes clouded over thinking back on a few months when he found himself in a similar position. Then he saw it once more the mirage of a white wolf standing protectively in front of the Queen, but as soon as he came it left.

"Now _my queen_, how do you feel right now? Ah, ah... I bet stupendous but poor you, you had to leave your lover behind." One of the men taunted as he took a rock and threw it at the Queen, only to find it blocked by a hand.

"Don't be a moron. If you bring her hurt to King Markus, he'll have your head." Another one of the men interrupted and they started to fight verbally against the majority of the men.

Taking advantage of the distraction made by the immature group of knights, the leader found himself walking over to where the aged woman was kneeling defeated. He stared her down but she didn't move or even react to it. Yet he saw it again, behind her was the form of the white wolf growling at him. He took a step back and when he closed and opened his lids the hallucination left the same way as it came.

"Can you see it?" He asked her lowly so that it wouldn't disturb the group he had come with.

"See what?" The woman retorted, but found no answer. "You mean a spirit?" She guessed in a monotone voice, most probably trying to hide her hurt.

Shocked the man kneeled down to her level to see if she was playing with him, but her eyes showed noting but sadness. "What kind of witchery did you do to have that animal following you?"

"So you are a special one." She said to the floor, ignoring the question he had given her.

"Don't ignore me witch." He said in a low and dangerous voice as he picked a knife he always carried with him.

Then she looked up at him, freezing him in place. Her eyes were daring and a youthful look washed upon them. The man froze in his place since he had heard stories about the Queen and her rebelling nature. He had heard her stare could freeze over hell and now that he had experimented it at first hand he knew what they said was true. A few more seconds of the stare and he broke it to look at the group that had totally forgotten about them.

"He's the Hero of Time. My husband used to see him as well." She told him as she also stared at the quarrel between knights. "You've seen him before haven't you?"

The knight froze in his place and started to wonder if what he had seen back then was the same as now. He knew that back then he was protecting the small girl in which some knights wanted to take advantage of. _'Could it be?'_ He wondered but without him even voicing his thoughts, the Queen had already known them due to his body.

"He's been alive all this time. Plus if you have that ability it means that you can see beyond the barriers of this dimension." She said trying to explain to him but not wanting to give in any real details. "Now shouldn't I be your prisoner?"

A rough look appeared on the man's face and he found anger growing deep inside of him. He had heard all of the rumors before and he knew exactly what the relationship between the Queen and the apparition was. Yet he grew far madder at his lack of leadership and being called on by his own prisoner. His commanding yell ran through the empty village and the men stopped their quarrel. All of them stood in position as he gave them their orders. Once his orders were given, all of them started to run around finishing their preparations for the time being.

* * *

Once Kain woke up from his sleep, he found himself in a dark and musty place. A few leaks were heard but other than his breathing, noting that could tell that someone else was with him. His blue eyes, slightly brighter than his mothers, shone inside the darkness yet he could see nothing. The more time he found himself starring at nothing in particular the more familiar he started to get with his surroundings. The dark and gloomy cell used to be where his father's advisor had ended after the man had betrayed his father, with what was unknown.

He somehow couldn't help but hate this place. It wasn't one of his favorite's places to be, and it would be the last place he would want to die in. He knew he had been in the area before, yet he had never seen it in this perspective. The way the main entrance door opened and closed and a few yells coming from the torture chamber were enough to make him cringe. By nature he was a pretty sadistic man but somehow the darkness of this place brought out his inner fears.

'_I need to get out of here. There's a window close that should lead to the back courtyard. No one goes there anymore, but how will I get there?' _Kain thought as he started to plan a way to get out of this dammed place. A loud yell of pain coming from a few cells made him shake slightly. _'Oh hell no, I need to get out fast.' _

After that last yell all he heard was the thumping of a body and the footsteps of the man doing the torture. A few gates father away opened and he knew that the man had left the area but a new pair of footsteps could be heard. He knew that sound and pace distinctively and he found himself calmer yet with some slight fear running through his veins. He knew that at that moment he wasn't needed observing his own door but he looked down to the floor in embarrassment.

"Kain, Kain..." A cynical voice called in a sing song tone. The rambling of keys rattled around the door and the voice kept repeating the same. "Kain, Ka-"

"You moron, that gets annoying!" The Third Prince yelled at the person who stood next to the door.

Not being taken back the person answered with the exact precision as always. "What? Are you mad _dad_? I mean I just feel as if twenty years has been taken away from me."

"Moron," Kain muttered relieved to finally speak to his son. "Twenty years ago you were just a brainless infant."

"Ehh? Are you playing tricks with me? Mom told me that everyone is born with a brain. Or has age gotten to you, _dad_?" The soldier in his early twenty's said as he taunted the man in chains.

"What are you here for? Last time I checked you aren't exactly my best ally." The man in chains said trying to keep his voice as low as possible.

"Oh, yea I nearly forgot. I came here on regards of King Markus the First. In the royal letter he sent me with, you are only meant to be given food once a day due to your status as royalty. Also you are meant to be given a bath every week, in a tight and secluded place and surrounded by criminals you had captured before. To top it all the trials against you will begin once the captured Queen comes back from Kakariko, starting two weeks after today, without counting delays." The young man said as he tried to keep a composed demeanor.

Once he noticed that the guards had passed their routinely motion near the cell he kneeled down to the eye level of Kain. The cold look he had used earlier disappeared and he threw himself on top of his father. The man grunted lightly but tried to hold back without lifting his arms much due to the chain restrain. Before any tears were intended to sweep out, the man in his twenties proceeded to whisper something in the older man's ear. Once again he had to separate and make his distance known as the guard passed behind him.

"And finally by the orders of our precious King Markus the First, you have been dethroned and lost all royal status. Also the daily meals shall be delivered in the afternoon." With that as a goodbye for now, the son left the father and son relationship behind and closed the door that encaged his father.

'_What a bastard of I son I have. From what I see they got the job cut for me.' _Kain thought with a smirk on his face, the darkness in the room giving him a malefactions glow and deepening his near deep blue eyes. "I guess I got two weeks of no action." He said out loud as he leaned back and rested his head against the brick wall.

* * *

In the dark atmosphere of the mansion Link and Lilia found themselves fighting. The young female found it difficult but felt secure since every time she found herself in danger her male counterpart came to help her. She kept fighting at a distance but on rare occasion found the enemy too close and had to change her tactic to a shorter distance. Her short hair flowed around behind her and some parts stick to her face. With that she kept on fighting her breathing growing heavier by the hour, but she didn't allow that to demonstrate how tired she truly was.

The man a few feet in front of her was in the same condition. He in this case found himself breathing heavy and tried his best to protect the maiden and himself. He found himself glad that they were nearing the final part of this dungeon after fighting nonstop for hours. His sword molded well with him and shield was still a perfect fit as he used the sword to stab and kill, and the shield to push and block. He looked behind him once a horde of monsters was cleared and saw the girl panting even harder than him.

"Lilia, take a rest." He told her, worry written all over his eyes.

"But all we got left is to open the last door." She said between breaths.

"There's no hurry here." He said but in his mind there was something that made him doubt those words.

"Of course there is! The Queen is in danger, dad told us that." Lilia half yelled at him.

Once those words reached Link's ears he looked down on to the floor. He knew his duty was next to the woman he loved but something was holding him back. _'Zelda, I'm coming for you.'_ The blonde man thought as he started to get near the last doors. He moved his hand to it but moved it away thanks to an electric shock. _'What the...'_ He thought his eyes as big as they can get.

"Link! Are you alright?" The petite girl yelled as she ran to the side of the shocked man. "Hey, hey! Answer me! Link, what happened?" She tried to gain his attention as she shook his arm continuously.

"I can't open it." He finally answered. "You'll probably wouldn't ether." He said as he looked down, his bangs hiding his eyes.

"You moron, let me try." She said her tone and words resembling her mother's.

'_Yeah, that's right. Every time we had to come across something we couldn't open someone would be taken as a victim.'_ He thought but closed his eyes as he got ready to pull the girl away from the door, but too late. She had touched the door and noting happened to her, she gave a smile of accomplishment and proceeded to push it open.

Link moving behind her, wanted to help her but when his hand neared her body another slash of electricity pushed him back. _'So it's all up to her now. This means once I'm free we'll both go together and save Zelda.' _He gave a ghost smile at the thought of seeing his lover once more but then it left. _'What of Lilia?'_

Lilia tried her best to continue pushing the door but it was as if it had boulders behind it, yet it moved, slow but it moved. She pushed harder and it moved slightly faster. It got to the point in which she could see some light and it made her want to get it open faster. Once she got enough space so that she and Link could go past the small entrance she had made, she decided to head in first.

She squashed her body past it and Link followed in behind her. The young female once inside allowed her eyes to adjust to the light and in front of her was something that made her gasp in fear. It was in a giant form of a rupee with a person locked inside of it. She looked around but found no monsters yet she was still mesmerized by the color and size of the rupee. She started to move her legs without thinking and entered deeper into the room.

Link on the other hand tried to stop her but his hands went through her body instead of colliding solidly with it. _'Lilia, no!' _He thought desperate when he noticed that he had no voice. The closer she got the colder he started to feel and soon enough he saw everything black. He tried to move his body but it was paralyzed in its place. _'What's going on!'_

Soon he started to open his eyes little by little and in front of his vision stood the small, green eyed female. Her hand got closer to him and he found himself wanting to scream. A strong gust of wind moved past her and her whole body flew against the wall near the door. Yet with the wind gone Link felt the crystal around him break. His body fell down to the floor in a clumsy way and he found himself tripping to get to the side of the unconscious girl.

"_Link."_ A melodic voice spoke in his mind.

'_Farore.'_ The man thought as he closed his eyes and imagined the entity floating around him.

"_You must go and save the Queen and her family."_ The voice continued in his mind as her green glow gave Link strength. _"Go and be the Hero of Time once more."_

'_But Lilia...'_ The man in green thought as he remembered the words the petite girl had spoken before they entered the room.

"_Hold the girl and patch her up, but don't allow her to come."_ The entity said as she started to disappear in his mind, her glow dismissing as darkness took its place.

Not forgetting the words of the Goddess, Link ran over to the side of the young female. Her hair was all over the place and blood was mixing with her dark caramel hair. He went to touch her and he felt the temperature of her skin, she was purely cold. As he moved his hands to pick her up he noticed that she had another gash but this time it was in her chest. _'Must be where the wind hit her.'_ Link mused as he prepared himself to get out of the dungeon.

* * *

Two bodies moved through the forest, their pace calm and collective. There was nothing for them to hurry; they had nowhere to go and no families to feed. The female one with long and beautiful hair that resembled the sun had a peaceful aura to her. Her male partner with short spiky hair appeared to be colder, as if he didn't want anything to do with the world. But their relationship appeared to be confusing, even thought they had the same eye and hair color.

And then she stopped. He stopped a few steps ahead of her and looked back at her only to see a sad look graze her face. "Lilia..." The female whispered as a tear decided to escape its capture.

"She won't die. Remember she's one of us." The man said as he picked up his pace but stopped once more when he noticed that the woman wasn't following him. "Eva, move. These are orders from the Goddesses not something we can decide." And with that they were gone. Their pace quickening because now they had someone to take care of.

* * *

The woman wearing high quality silks walked around with the company of her only daughter, the pup she had picked up and the middle aged man leading the way. She had dirty blonde hair and looked around but didn't find anything interesting other than a few rocks. She was growing bored and hungry but for now she only had a piece of bread to chew on.

"Hey," she said in a tired voice. "Do you know where are we going?" She was starting to get as grumpy as the baby when not fed.

"Lady Mai-" The man started only to be interrupted.

"Drop the lady." She said with a menacing glare.

"Alright, alright. Mai, you asked that a minute ago and we are getting closer to Lake Hylia." He said in a tired voice as if that question had been repeated over and over again.

As the two of them kept walking, away in the distance a large group of people could also be seen walking. All of them were heavily armored and prepared for battle but that didn't seem to bother Nick's wife. No, all she did was simply give a welcoming smile once she saw the people after a few weeks of noting but the carriage driver. The man seemed to be trying to pull her to safety but being reckless was how she worked best.

"Hello!" She yelled into the path of the small army while she waved at them. "We are lost, do you think you could give us a lift and some shelter. Oh and food!" She yelled once more into the distance, her child steering lightly in her hands as it opened its eyes. The baby looked around but could only see the excitement of its mother and the bright blue sky.

"I think I'm going to faint." The middle aged man behind her muttered, she was starting to exchange words with the people on the other side.

"Thank you!" She yelled as she started to run towards the men. Looking behind her she remembered the carriage driver and proceeded to call him over. "What are you waiting for! They got food."

* * *

"_Nick on the outskirts of Hyrule, there is a group of soldiers from the far north..."_

The blonde prince remembered those words, as he found himself galloping into what could probably be a trap. He kept the pace of the horse and lowered down so that no one could see his face under the dark hood he was wearing. The look in his eyes told of a story of hate that he was ready to relieve himself from and his own family.

'_I can't believe I've gone so low. I don't even have the need for this; my wife should already be safe in the Old Kakariko with Impaz taking care of her.'_ He thought as he hit the horse so that it would listen to him and take the shortcut that was meant to go to Lake Hylia.

"_Between those men and women, make sure to lead them all South were my children are resting."_ Nick remembered those words from the woman of his brother all that while showing him the map and tracing him the best routes to take.

He kept galloping but this time he was on top of a long bridge, his horse already breathing heavily from the long run that he had done. Slowing down the pace he made it trot lightly so that he would still be moving. He took out the marked map and observed it, just to make sure that he was heading the right way. He looked for every detail and was surprised by the accuracy of the map.

'_They knew this all along. Kain often went on fake hunting trips so that he would map any shortcuts he would come up with. He rarely spoke to mom but the times that I remember that they did talk, was always in complete privacy.'_ He thought as he stopped the horse completely and mounted down so that he could give the horse some carrots and water.

"_Once you position yourself in Ordon province, within a week of finding the group send us a message with my oldest son, who's awaiting orders." _

'_If mom knew what would happen, then probably dad also did. They were best friends after all. But why didn't she do a thing? Was it her revenge for dad taking a consort? But if this all has been planned from a time escapade then it means that it will all begin at the moment that Kain and mom are on trial.'_ Nick thought one last time before mounting the horse and continuing his adventure. With many more questions swimming through his mind Nick concentrated on what would free his family from the curse he was living with.

* * *

An aged man around seventy years old, found himself resting against a boulder as a younger group prepared a camp fire. He had taken off his thin armor and was placing some well deserved bandages on his side. The look of the ripped skin and the dried blood made him hold back a grunt, but nonetheless he began fixing his side.

On the opposite side of him sat the young boy which earlier he had knocked out unconscious. The boy glared at the man at every chance he got, he insulted the older man for leaving the Queen behind. The deep blue eyes of the man simply choose to ignore the boy and to keep his full concentration on the bandages, not that it needed much thought.

"Yael, we got a message from them." One of the ex-soldiers that used to be in his division told him.

"What does it says?" The man said as he finished patching himself up.

"Here." The man said as he glanced at the boy nervously since he hadn't stopped glaring at them.

The man who came by the name of Yael got to his feet so that he could receive the letter. Once it was finally resting in his hand he gave the people the back as he started reading it.

'_Hold your march to the South for only three days. Once in the South head to the Ordon province and there reunite with your son. Behave with him; he will be your leader now.'_ He read silently but chuckled at the occurring of his friend in the city.

"Guys rest up and re-group; we'll be leaving in three days. Also help the civilians in the mean time." He commanded before he sat once more in the same spot he had done not so long ago.

After his command everything went silent, no one was talking and the ones who were weren't in the area. The man then proceeded to write a letter since he knew that the falcon was still around awaiting a returning message. He picked up the pen and with a neat handwriting he started to scribe what was on his mind. _'Good, the order has been spread and it will be done in time. Also your grandson isn't so great with a sword, leave him as a pickpocket.'_ He finished with some slight humor.

"Hey! Place this on the falcon and send him out." The blue eyed man yelled for the man who had brought him the message.

Once more everything quieted down and the men left to help a few of the civilians that were near them all. In the end all that was left were the boy and the leader of the group. "You're a murderer." The boy finally spoke his tone extremely hostile against the man that had knocked him down.

"So you have heard..." The man said as he locked eyes with the teenager, believing that he had heard of his real past.

"You left Zelda to die." The boy said as he raised his voice hatred easily noticeable.

A knife flew and in an instant the boy was lifted from his place on the floor, fear splattered all over his face. "Don't you ever speak of things you know nothing of kid. Unless you want to die I wouldn't say a thing about it." The man said as he let go of the boy and allowed him to hit the floor. "I simply followed her orders." Yael said as he gave the young boy his back.

"It doesn't change what you are." The boy spat, as if venom was rushing through his veins.

"Say that again and I will cut your tongue." Yael said picking up the knife that he had thrown at the kid's face.

The boy somehow knew when to back off and decided to sit down with a scowl on his face. _'If he keeps doing that face, in a few years it will end up like mine. Pity he doesn't understand the truth.'_ The man thought looking away into the darkening sky. _'Zelda you made it hard for me, you know I would have given my life to spend my last waking minutes in your arms. You truly are pure at heart.' _

* * *

A blonde man struggled to move his body up the stairs along with some extra weight known as Lilia. He smiled as he finally was capable of feeling her body warmth and not just something cold pressing against his body. Once he had finally surpassed the long stairways he carried her to the room she was occupying at the moment. He had to kick the door open and was successful on not breaking it.

'_Things feel way different now, I can finally feel pain.'_ He thought as he dropped the girl on top of the bed. _'Oh shit.'_ He thought as he saw the blood staining the sheets. Moving quickly he ran to her bathroom and searched for some bandages and a bowl. Taking everything he needed he moved over to her side and blushed at the thought of having to take off her shirt.

Ignoring his feelings he did what was right at the moment and took it off, his eyes widening at the deep gash she had on her chest. _'This is all my fault.'_ He thought shocked that another person had to give its life for his freedom. _'She's still breathing, so I guess she's stable for now.'_ He took a white towel and put it in hot water. He moved careful over the deep gash on her chest but made sure to not apply too much pressure on it.

"Oh look how nice, he's taking care of her." A voice said on the distance but Link ignored it thinking that it was all his imagination. "And he's now ignoring us."

"Nathan!" A female voice resounded but that made the blonde man stops his doings.

Looking behind him and to the entrance of the room, Link saw a person he thought was long dead. Shock grew inside his body and he thought he was seeing just a ghost, but he knew better. The female with long yellow hair looked at him and smiled, her emerald eyes shining as if she was alive. But he knew that time could kill anyone, even one of her.

"Eva..." He whispered to the air and the woman nodded instantly moving to his side and taking the bloodied towel from his hands.

"Link, you have to leave before she wakes up, we'll take care of her." The woman said as her eyes softened by seeing how much her only daughter had grown, but she proceeded to dip the bloodied towel in the bowl of water.

"But-" Link tried to protest, not wanting to leave the girl's side.

"Leave!" The man in the room commanded as he sat on the bed. "Farore wouldn't like it if you disrespect her orders." He said as he took another cloth and started to clean the wounds on the girl's head.

"Nathan, don't be so harsh with Link." Eva said in a sweet voice as her motherly feelings came out.

"Eva, I have to." He said.

"It's alright." Link said his body already next to the door. "Tell Lilia that I promise to come back for her." With his eyes hardened Link gave his last words, ignoring that he had been great friends with the woman that Lilia resembled so much. He had said those words with such determination, but he left the house not long after them.

Once the two immortal beings were left alone in the room, they both shared a look that spoke degrees of their relation with one another. A smile from the female made the look of passion is broken and they stayed quiet cleaning the wounds of the girl. After some time a cold wind passed through then and they finished their cleaning. Picking up some bandages, the female started to wrap them around her daughter's body.

"He got lucky, the portal had just closed." The woman said more to herself since she knew that the male didn't truly care.

"Do you think he'll keep it?" Nathan asked after she had said those words.

"Keep what?"

"The promise."

"Ask Zelda," Eva simply answered.

* * *

**Ok, hope you all loved it. Now the story is coming to an end and next chapter is already edited. The only problem is that there are four more chapters to fully write before the story is completed. Right now, I will focus all of my attention in finishing this story, and all my other updates on **Incubus** and **Lies** will be paralyzed or will become extremely slow.**

**So with that I really do hope that I get more encouragement from my readers and hope that this story is finished before the end of this semester (in may).**

**Aside from that I still do have more plans along the line of **The Timeless Shadow **as that story can have 3 more sides to it. There's a side story of when **Zelda and Link dated**, a second side named **The Diary of a Broken Home** (concentrates on Zelda and her children when growing up) and last will be an **epilogue** of **TTS **that will take time during the game Twilight Princess. So for now any reader should think about it as I'll make a poll on my profile in the near future.**

**Love you all.**

**~~Adrianne**


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